Path of Light
by Lady Joy Reborn
Summary: Sequel to Total Eclipse. Joy returns to Domino, this time with her dad, only to meet with an even more dangerous enemy. (Complete)
1. Return to Domino

Joy: I'm back with the sequel to Total Eclipse. This is the fourth story in my series, and if you haven't read the others, go on and read them! This one is going to be fun and hopefully as well liked as my other three. So without further ado, here is Chapter 1 of Path of Light.

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**Return to Domino**

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**_"I'll be back some time, Kaiba. You can't get rid of me that easily."_**

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**_"Yeah…Joy?" Seto took a step forward, closing the gap between their bodies._**

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**_"Yeah?" Joy manages to whisper out, feeling herself go red with a furiously strong blush._**

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**_Seto leaned in and touched his lips with hers in a light kiss. Then he backed away and stuck his sweaty hands into his pockets. "Call me."_**

………

"Joy…Joy…daughter!" Joy snapped out of her memory, looking around in confusion. "What on earth is going on?! Are you all right?" Joy looked over at her father, Steven Houyoku, who was currently seated beside her in their airport seats.

The two of them were headed to Domino City, Japan, where Steven was planning on conducting some very important business. Of course he brought along his newest assistant, Joy. He felt since she knew Domino well, and since she needed the experience, she would be perfect to bring along.

Ever since her trip to Japan three months ago, she had been acting a bit differently. She daydreams a lot more, sometimes getting an almost love struck look in her eyes. He asked her about it, but she just shrugged, claming that there was nothing wrong.

_Perhaps it has something to do with __Japan__. She has been rather distracted. Maybe she misses those friends of hers. She does speak highly of them, especially Seto Kaiba. And she is constantly on her computer talking to them. _

It was nearly six in the evening when Joy and Steven arrived at their hotel. Joy was unpacking in her room when Katilli came out. "Are you going to go see Yugi and Kaiba?" she asked.

"Not yet. Dad has some meetings he has to go to, and I need to be there, too," Joy explained.

"I see," Katilli said quietly.

Joy smiled. "You're free to go if you want. Just teleport there. I know you want to see the others. Especially Yami and Bakura."

Katilli blinked. "Are you sure?" she asked. Joy nodded and Katilli smiled. She gave Joy a hug. "Arigatou! I'll keep the link open and be back later on, okay?" Joy nodded in agreement.

"Take your time. Enjoy yourself. And say hi to the others for me."

"I will." She vanished. Joy sighed. She had wanted to see her friends. She had not gotten an opportunity to even tell them that she was going to be coming to Japan. She did want to surprise them with the visit, but she wouldn't get an opportunity to talk to them for a few days at least, what with her father taking her place to place on business.

_Maybe I could call tonight if I get a free moment before bed. _Just then there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Steven opened the door and came in. He noticed the almost sad look in his daughter's eyes.

"Everything going well, Joy?" he asked his daughter. She gave him a smile.

"Yep! Almost done, too. Where are we off to first, daddy?"

…Meanwhile…

Yami and Bakura had been persuaded (more like forced) to take control in order to get along for more than a second. In response, the two took to glaring and pouting and acting quite childish. Then they both jumped they heard a sound behind them.

"Oomph!"

They turned in time to see a familiar black haired girl wearing a robe struggling into a sitting position. They both leaped to their feet. "Katilli!"

Katilli grinned up at them. "Yep! That's me! How have you two been? Can one of you give me a hand? Onegai?"

Oh, I don't know," Yami said slyly. "Should we give her a hand, Bakura?" Yami asked the tomb robber."

"Oh, I suppose so, Pharaoh." With huge smirks on their faces, they both clapped their hands. Katilli shot them glares.

"Very funny. HA HA." Each took one of Katilli's hands and easily pulled her to her feet.

"Does this mean you and Joy have returned to Domino?" Yami asked.

"Yes. Joy has come with her father for a business trip," Katilli explained. She is his assistant now. She would be here herself but she has to accompany her father to meetings today."

"Perhaps we will see her later, then. Does Kaiba know she's here?"

"Not yet. I am sure she will tell him later. I'm here to spend time with you for a while."

"Neko, you just made my day." Bakura smirked.

Katilli smirked back. "Hentai."

"Absolutely."

Yami raised an eyebrow. Aibou, can you take over….onegai?

Nope. Besides, I'm a light and not supposed to see those things.

Yami sighed. "Ra help me," he muttered.

…Later…

Joy sank into the back of the limo. She was tired from the meetings and moving floor to floor and building to building. Steven had other ideas though. "Driver, pull in there."

"Huh?" Joy looked out the window. "Daddy, this is a woman's clothing store."

"Very observant of you, princess. It is a clothing store. You have to get a dress for the ball tomorrow night."

"Oh! I almost forgot about that!" She sighed. I hate dressing up in front of strangers. Especially business people. I always feel they are staring at me or something.

"Now, you know this is important, and I want you to get something elegant. You want to make a good impression, ne, princess?"

"Yeah."

"Very good. Come. "They made their way inside to the store. "Now take this card and get something that you feel comfortable in and would be easy to move around in while wearing."

"Okay, daddy. What about you?" she asked, taking the card.

"I'll be just down the street at another shop." He started to go. "Have fun, princess. If you have any problems using that, call me."

"Okay, daddy." She sighed again after he was gone. "I really hate balls. Everyone is going to be so stuck up."

…Meanwhile…

"Mr. Kaiba. Are you going to the Houyoku ball tomorrow night?"

Seto looked up from his laptop. Houyoku? He raised an eyebrow.

"You just received an invitation, sir. Steven Houyoku has arrived in Domino hoping to expand his operations to include this city. He is hosting a party to meet and greet potential business partners and acquaintances."

_Joy didn't tell me that in her last message to me. I wonder if it was a sudden thing. I wonder if she's here, too._

_One way to find out,_ Sorcerer said.

_Yeah. _

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Joy: There you have it. Chapter one down. Next chapter is called 'The Ball'. Looking forward to next time, and don't forget to review!

BTW: 'hentai' means 'pervert'


	2. The Ball

Joy: Oh my gosh! I am SO sorry for the HUGE delay. To be honest, I really don't have a good excuse except I kind of struggled to make this chapter flow well. Anyways, wow! Lots of reviews! I am so happy! I think I might do something different for the responses to this story. I hate to say I might not always answer them all. If you have a review that I need to respond to, I will put it at the start. That way we can get right to the chapter. But if you guys don't like that, I suppose I can compromise a bit. I just think you guys want to get to the chapter quicker. But I do read every single review and I will continue to do so. Okay!

There was a question I need to answer. The meaning of 'aibou'. According to my translator software and my Japanese friend, aibou means 'partner, pal, accomplice, or companion'. I hope that is what you were looking for Dark Kuriboh Empire. I also want to thank everyone who reviewed and complimented the newest addition to my story! Arigatou! Now on to the chapter!

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**The Ball**

The ball started promptly at six o'clock in the evening. This party was a perfect opportunity for Steven to meet and greet potential business partners. Wealthy business people from all over Japan had shown up hoping to cut a deal or two with the American businessman. The ball was also a perfect opportunity for Joy to become more bored than she had ever been before in her entire life.

_Why do these parties have to be so boring?_ Joy complained to herself. _And Katilli's still with Bakura and I don't even WANT to know what they're doing._

_Relax, aibou. It's nothing too naughty,_ Katilli told her through their link.

_Well, at least you're having fun. This is so BORING! _Joy heard Katilli laugh.

_But I am not having that kind of fun, aibou. We are just sitting around watching an old movie that certain people tell me they could do without,_ Katilli explained with a laugh. _To be honest, I love parties. Back in __Egypt__, I would organize grand festivals and parties to honor the Gods and anyone who was anyone would attend. There was food and wine and the dancing was marvelous._

_That sounds so exciting. Maybe daddy should have had you organize this one. Now that would be fun. I could dress up in your robes or something Egyptian and we could learn about celebrations for the Gods. That would be educational as well as fun._

_Perhaps someday we could, hikari._

As earlier stated, lots of very influential people had been invited to the extravagant ball, including one teenage CEO with deep blue eyes. Seto Kaiba scanned the room warily, clearing annoyed with the people in the room. His expression was one of dominance and annoyance mixed into one as he looked at the "corporate know it alls."

_I despise these people. I only came here because I wanted to meet Joy's father and see for myself what kind of man he is. Besides, Kaiba Corp. could always use another contact._

Just then he spotted someone very familiar in the crowd. He stepped forward to get a better look and his jaw dropped in shock.

_Joy…she looks…incredible!_

Joy wore her black hair in a braided bun not unlike what she wore at the celebration party, with her white strand hanging down to the side. She wore a pale lavender sleeveless gown and long white silk gloves. The gown was adorned with a golden belt that connected in the front in a 'V' shape. Her ever-present sapphire necklace brought out her blue eyes perfectly.

_She looks like a princess…_ Seto thought in surprise. He walked over to her, trying to maintain his self control. "Hey, Houyoku. Long time no see." Joy whirled around in shock, then her face lit up with recognition.

"Kaiba!" She grinned over at him. "It's so good to see you again! You look great!" She gave him a hug, causing Seto to work hard at suppressing a blush.

"So do you. I have to admit that dress looks good on you." Joy gave a sheepish smile. "Why didn't you call and tell me you were in Domino?" Seto asked.

"Gomen nasai, Kaiba. I got a bit busy. But what are you doing here? Did dad invite you?" She raised an eyebrow. "Are you hoping to speak with him?"

"Maybe."

"Well, come on! I'll introduce you!" Joy grabbed Seto's hand, dragging him over to where her father was talking to a rather snooty man in a brown suit. "Excuse me, can I –"

"Pardon me, girl, but Mister Houyoku and I are trying to have a conversation. I swear, the way these teenagers are raised to act these days is simply unacceptable!"

Joy blinked, and then frowned. "I was raised very well, thank you, you…you…corporate nobody!"

"You should learn to respect your elders, you little brat!" the man snapped back.

"Excuse me, but I don't believe it is appropriate for you to speak like that to MY DAUGHTER!" Steven sent the man a glare as he took Joy by the shoulder and led her away. Seto followed, an amused look on his face.

_So why are you so happy?_ Sorcerer asked. _Pleased to see Joy's father tell that guy off?_

_Partially, but I know that jerk and I have every intentions of making sure he eats his words._ He gave Sorcerer a mental smirk. He followed the two to a secluded corner of the room.

"Now that we're away from that, what did you need to tell me, Joy?" Steven asked.

"I wanted to introduce you to Seto Kaiba, daddy. He is the CEO of Kaiba Corporations and a dear friend of mine. I met him over the summer." She motioned to Seto, who came forward and bowed to Steven, who did the same.

"Well, well. Seto Kaiba. News of your company has reached me even in America. You are quite an accomplished businessman. Joy has told me a lot about your character as well."

Seto raised an eyebrow. "Has she?"

"Indeed. Come. Let's talk."

Joy listened as her father and Seto talked business. It seemed to be going very well from what she could pick up. Her father had a lot of influence in America and wanted to spread his business to include Japan and its status in the gaming industry. One of the hottest things going on in Japan in the gaming field at the moment was Duel Monsters. Her father had never played, but Joy made sure he was kept up to speed on the game and he found it quite fascinating.

So the two CEO's talked and Joy was even asked to take some notes on the conversation. She found it uplifting that the two men got along so well. It was one of the things she was hoping for since she told her father about Seto. No, before that even, but that was another thing she wanted to speak to Seto about, and more than likely she would speak to her father as well.

_I just hope I can pull this off without looking like a complete baka._

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Joy: There you go! VERY delayed, but still updated! Next chapter will be quicker, I promise! The third chapter is called: 'Heart to Heart' Till then, review and see ya!


	3. Heart to Heart

Joy: Okay, everyone! I am sorry for the delay. I wanted to get this chapter out a few days ago, but I kind of had a problem – it was way too short. It still is, but not as bad as it was before. Hope you like it. Oh, by the way, this one introduces another OC who will remain nameless just for this chapter. She belongs to kurama'sdarkangel1. There you go!

I am glad everyone liked the last chapter. Several of you commented on Seto and Joy's dad and how he handled the rude businessman. I like that, too! Here we go!

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**Heart to Heart**

After the conversation between Seto and Steven, Joy wandered out to the spacious balcony right outside the ballroom. She sighed and leaned against the rail.

_What is wrong, my light?_ Joy blinked.

_Huh? What did you say?_

_I asked you what was wrong, Joy._

_Oh…nothing really. It's just that…_

_Joy, you can just tell me._

_Katilli__, you were right._

_About what?___

_My feelings for Kaiba.___

_…Hmm…Then there is only one thing that you can do. You should tell him._

_How? What if I screw it up?_ Joy asked, kind of paniking a bit. Her mental link with Katilli was sending through all the emotions she was feeling at that moment: Fear, concern, love, self-reproach. All the feelings she was sending hit Katilli in a wave.

_I doubt you can screw it up if you speak with your heart._ Katilli in turn send waves of assurance and caring to her hikari, trying to aid her and calm her.

_You're right, I guess._

_Of course I am right. It is my job._

Joy gave her a mental glare. "Houyoku. There you are." Kaiba came to stand by her at the rail of the balcony. "Everything all right?"

"Everything's great. How are things between you and my father?"

"Promising." There was a slight pause. "Joy, I have to tell you something. Please hear me out before you say anything." Joy nodded. Seto took a deep breath. "Okay. Every since we met I have been hard pressed to control my emotions. At first, I wasn't sure what I felt, but as time went on I discovered what had happened. Joy, I have fallen in love with you. And now I am in so deep I can't hide it any more."

Joy stood in shock as Kaiba took a deep breath and continued. Her mind was racing as he spoke his next words.

"You have my heart, Joy Houyoku, something I never even admitted having before. I feel like I can do anything as long as you're by my side. As long as you let me love you."

Joy was speechless for several seconds. _Oh my gods…he just told me he loves me. Oh…my…gods! What am I going to say? What if I try to say something and it comes out all wrong? I don't know what to do! For once, I am totally unprepared for a response! I better say something or I really will screw this up. My heart is beating so fast…Why is it I can't control any part of my body when I am around him?_ "Oh, Kaiba. I – "

Just then there was a loud scream from inside the ball room. The two teens turned as another scream erupted. Seto and Joy hurried for the ballroom when a man dressed from head to toe in black jumped in front of them.

"You roads end here!"

Seto glared at the stranger. "I don't think so." He lunged for the man, but to Seto's surprise, the assailant easily moved out of the way. Then he elbowed Seto in the back, bring the CEO to his knees in a daze.

Then the man turned to Joy only to meet with a devastating right hook to the cheek. Then Joy did a spinning kick and connected to him head, spinning him around in a ninety degree circle. The man crumpled to the ground in an unconscious heap. Joy glared at him. "That will teach him to crash parties."

"Hold it right there, Joy Houyoku."

Joy looked over to see a cloaked female standing over Seto, a staff in her hand. It was a silver staff with a small golden arrow head at the top, making it resemble a spear. The point was aimed at Seto's neck. Joy noticed she had a gold bracelet around her wrist with a black stone on it decorated with hieroglyphics. The only other things she noticed was that she stood almost as tall as she did, perhaps even as tall, almost six feet tall and that she had black hair. She knew about the black hair because she could see it sticking out a bit from under the hood.

"Let him go!" Joy commanded. The woman gave her a short laugh.

"Oh, I will. We don't want the priest's reincarnation. We want you. Surrender yourself completely to us and we will let him live. Give us any resistance and he will definitely get the point."

"Don't do it!" Seto ordered.

_Joy, what is going on? I sense you are concerned._

_There is a group of people attacking us and a woman has Kaiba and she said if I don't go with her she will harm him._

_I am going to return to you and deal with this._

_NO! Stay there. Tell Bakura and Yami what's going on and wait for Kaiba. Then come get me._ "All right. I'll go with you."

"NANI?! Houyoku, are you crazy?!" Seto cried.

"I just want to say something to him first." Joy knelt beside Seto and talked in a low voice. "I want you to take this," she said, handing him a brown drawstring bag. "It's important. Go find the others and come get me. Tell daddy not to worry. I'll be fine till you come get me." She stood after giving Seto the bag and turned to the woman. "I'm ready."

The woman raised her staff a bit and the two girls vanished into thin air.

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Joy: I am sorry this one is not as long as it usually is. The next one will probably be longer. I have a better layout for it I think. And I am sorry for taking so long updating. Some personal life stuff got in the way. I'll talk to you all next time and review for me, ok?

Oh, I forgot! Joy and Katilli are going to be traveling to other people's stories! I am so proud and happy others like my stories and my characters. I want everyone to keep on the lookout cuz I will be telling you what stories and when really soon!


	4. The Prophecy

Joy: Well, I know that there was another delay. No real excuse, just a bit of a block. But here comes chapter 4. Thank you to all my loyal readers and reviewers who have loyally sent in reviews! This is the intro to the villain of the story, btw. Here it comes!

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**The Prophecy**

Seto leaped to his feet. Sorcerer, _they took her!_

_I saw. That woman was more than what she seemed._

_What do you mean?_ Just then Seto heard someone call out to Joy. _Great. Now how am I going to explain things to Houyoku-san?_

_You must tell him everything, and then explain that you are going to personally ensure Joy's safe return. That way he will be out of danger's way. We do not want him to go to the Shadow Realm._

_The Shadow Realm? That is where she was taken?_

_I know that is where, though the exact location reminds unknown to me. We will need a Millennium Item to be sure of the location in the realm._

_All right. We'll go see Moto like Joy wanted, but I will rescue her myself. _

Seto walked into the ballroom. The place was rather trashed. Tables were overturned and dishes and food were everywhere. Steven came over to Seto and asked about Joy. Seto sighed deeply, and then began to tell Steven what had happened.

Needless to say, the senior CEO was not pleased. "Don't worry, Houyoku-san. I am going to find her."

"Very well, Mister Kaiba. I will leave this to you for now, mostly because my daughter thinks highly of you. But I want my daughter back quickly or I will involve myself further. Are we in understanding?" Seto nodded.

Seto left and got into his limo, his destination was the Game Shop.

…Meanwhile…

Joy reappeared changed to a wall. "What the - ?" She pulled at the chains.

"Relax. Those are magical bongs, girl. Not even your dark side can help you out of them. Only I know how, and I don't plan on telling anytime soon." Joy looked up to see the female who had forced her to come with her, only this time her hood was down, revealing her face and hair.

She had shoulder length black hair and dark purple eyes. "Who are you?" Joy asked, raising an eyebrow.

The young woman smirked. "You may call me Kira."

Joy gave the woman a hard stare. "But it isn't your real name is it?"

"It is not the name my soul uses, though it is the name of my charge. You see, like you and your friends, this body contains two souls, two minds that inhabit one body."

"So who are you? You say your light is named Kira, but who are you?"

"My real name is not of importance. What you need to worry about is Akujin."

"Akujin? Who is Akujin?"

Kira smirked again.

"That is something you will have to find out later."

"Bull shit! If this person is responsible for all this, then I want to know now!"

"Calm down. All will be revealed soon. But first…I am sure you have questions concerning the reason you have been abducted, yes?" Kira asked.

"I didn't think you would tell me even if I asked," Joy commented.

"Oh, now why would I not tell you? It is only fair since you cooperated so nicely. Never mind the fact you had no choice. Now then, have you ever heard of the Path of Light?" Joy shook her head. "It is a wondrous and mysterious place, Miss Houyoku. But not one that is easily accessible. In fact, no one has ever been there."

"Go on," Joy prompted.

The only way to find it is to complete the four requirements. One of those requirements is to gather the three Items of Legend."

"Items of Legend?" Joy asked curiously. _Katilli?_

_Mmm…no, I have not heard of them._

"Indeed. They are the Dagger of Shou, the Sword of Kai and the Shield of Chii. Each of the items has a part of an inscription needed to take the traveler to the Path of Light."

"You said they were one of the requirements? There are others?"

"Yes. There are four requirements altogether."

"So what are they?" Joy asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"That is something you will have to hear from Lord Akujin, when he arrives that is."

"Why not tell me now? And where do I fit into this grand scheme of his?" Joy asked.

"Akujin will tell you himself. I must go for now, but I'll be back. I trust you'll still be here when I return." Joy glared at after her until she was out of the room and the door was closed.

_Joy, are you all right?_ Katilli asked through their link.

_I'm fine, just a bit confused and extremely annoyed._

Katilli sighed in what Joy though of as relief. _I am concerned about you being there alone. Perhaps I should be with you._

_No, it's better for you to be out there where you can do more. Has Kaiba shown up yet?_

_Yes. We are going to use the Puzzle to – OH!_ Joy heard Katilli gasp out mentally, then…silence.

_Katilli…? Katilli!_ Joy frantically reached out to her dark through the link. She felt that Katilli was all right. _Katilli! Answer me!_

Joy sighed. Then the door to her cell opened and in strolled a man wearing a black cloak that covered his body completely except for his head. The man stood about six feet tall and was of a stout build. He had green eyes and dark brown hair.

"You must be Akujin."

"Good guess, Miss Houyoku. I am he. And you are no doubt curious as to why I have brought you here. My purpose has been partially explained to you already."

"The Path of Light...," Joy murmured. Akujin nodded snidely.

"Yes. I want what is at the end of the path. You see there is a reward of unimaginable importance beyond the Path and I mean to acquire it."

"But you can't until you complete the requirements. But what does that have to do with me?"

"As we speak, my servant is doing my bidding and getting what I need. You see, my dear, there are four things that must be done before the Path is revealed. One of them is the acquisition of the three Items of Legend. The second and third are about to be accomplished. They are getting the Millennium Puzzle and the three Egyptian God Cards."

"NO!" Just then there was a small light and Kira stood next to Akujin.

And she was holding the Millennium Puzzle and the three God Cards.

Joy was stunned at the sight, then angered. She knew she couldn't get them back unless she was freed from the chains. Then she grew concerned. _This isn't good. What happened to the others? Gods, I hope they are okay._

"Now that I have the Millennium Puzzle and all three Egyptian God Cards, it's only a matter of time before the Path of Light will be opened, and I shall reign supreme. There is just one more requirement to fulfill. I must marry a keeper of light." He turned to Joy, who stood defiantly even when she was chained to the wall. He went over to her with a sneer on his face.

"What do you want?" she asked with a hate-filled stare. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Of course. You did not know that you are a keeper of light, did you?"

"Nani?"

"Joy Houyoku, I wish to marry you. I want to ask your hand in marriage."

Joy's eyes widened to the maximum extent. "NANI?!?!"

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Joy: There it is. Chapter 4. Wanted it to be longer, but…(sigh) oh well. Next chapter is called… The Cold Shoulder. Till then, review and see you next time!


	5. The Cold Shoulder

Joy: Here I am with another chapter. Chapter five! Glad everyone is enjoying the story so far. Lots of cool stuff is on the horizon! Read on, loyal readers and reviewers!

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**The Cold Shoulder**

Katilli and Yugi were waiting for Kaiba outside the Game Shop. Ryou had gone home a short while before Joy was abducted, so he and Bakura were not present. "We need to hurry. Yami, no one is around." At Katilli's words, Yami appeared in spirit form.

"All right Yugi, all you have to do is focus. Concentrate. Think of Joy. Get a picture of her clearly in your mind." Yugi closed his eyes, an image of Joy forming in his mind. The Puzzle glowed slightly.

"You are doing it!" Katilli exclaimed.

"Not so fast!" Everyone jumped a bit from surprise, then turned to the owner of the voice. A female stood a few feet away. She had black hair and deep purple eyes.

"You! You're the one who took Joy!" Seto snapped, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

Sorcerer appeared next to Seto. "Priestess Reila!"

Yami looked at Sorcerer Seto. "You know her?" he asked, a bit shocked.

"It was part of my duty to know, thought I never thought I would ever see her again, and certainly not like this." He turned to Reila. "What are you doing, Reila? Who is your reincarnate? Why are you in league with the enemy?"

"Her name is not your concern, High Priest Seto. I am here on Akujin's orders and I intend to follow through with them. The rest is not your business."

"I order you to release Joy, Reila," Katilli commanded.

Reila smiled, though to Yugi it seemed like a sad smile. "I would love to follow that order, Your Highness, but I cannot."

"What does this Akujin want with Joy?" Yugi asked.

Reila turned to Yugi, another small smile displayed on her features. "Have you ever had a dream, Yugi Moto? Something you have wanted more than anything else in the world?" She took a deep breath. "We all do at some point. The unreachable goal."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Seto asked.

"A lot, Seto Kaiba. And now I must do what I came here to do. Forgive me." She hit the group with an unexpected blast of air. The blast did not affect Sorcerer and Yami, who were in spirit form, but it did hit the others, throwing them down to the ground. Yami gasped as the Puzzle was flown from Yugi's neck and he was drawn back into the Item.

Reila seized the opportunity and grabbed the Millennium Puzzle, and then reached down again, taking the belt pack from Yugi's waist containing his dueling deck. She turned to Katilli, who was just getting back to her feet. "If you want your light back, Highness, you must be well prepared to steal her back. Only a master thief is going to be able to get into Akujin's castle."

Reila vanished into thin air.

Everyone got to their feet. "She took the Puzzle!" Yugi cried. "And my deck! Why?"

"We'll just have to ask Akujin that after we find him," Seto said firmly.

"But we need the Puzzle to do that. How are we going to find the castle?" Sorcerer asked.

Katilli thought for a moment. "I think Reila herself told us how. She told us 'only a master thief' could get into the castle. And who do we know who fits such a description?"

"Bakura!"

…Meanwhile…

"What do you say, my dear? Marry me and untold riches could be ours!"

Joy gave him a disgusted look. "You have got to be kidding. There is no fucking way I would ever marry you!"

"Really? You shouldn't be too hasty. Perhaps you would like me to smash the Millennium Puzzle to pieces? I am sure the Pharaoh would love that."

"Go ahead, scum. That will really do you some good. Besides, Yugi can put that Puzzle together easily now." Joy smirked. "I would rather eat dog shit than marry you, you twisted freak!"

At that, Joy received a slap across the face. "You would do well to watch your tongue, girl! I could make you die a slow, painful death!"

"Yeah, but then you would never reach the Path of Light, now would you?" Joy asked cockily. Akujin growled in anger. "Down boy, down. You seem to be in need of anger management."

"Marry me now or pay the price, girl!" Akujin said, moving his face to just inches from hers.

"Go to hell." Joy narrowed her eyes at Akujin, who looked even more furious as he turned and stormed out of the room.

Joy breathed a sigh of relief. _I held him at bay for now, but what about next time? And what about the others? Gods, I hope they are all right…_

…Meanwhile…

Katilli, Seto, and Yugi arrived at Ryou's house early in the evening. Yugi knocked on the door, and a moment later, Ryou answered.

"Yugi? What is it? Is something wrong?"

"Ryou…we need to talk," Yugi answered, giving Ryou a serious expression. Ryou blinked in response and invited the three friends inside.

...Later…

"Let me get this straight," Bakura began as he lounged on the couch thirty minutes later, "Neko's hikari and the pharaoh got themselves abducted and Yugi's deck got stolen in the process."

Katilli frowned. "I do not know if I would have worded it just that way, anata, but…yes."

"And you need the Ring to find the Puzzle." Yugi nodded. "But what about Houyoku?"

"I have a strong suspicion that if we find the Puzzle, we shall find my hikari," Katilli responded.

"I suppose you expect me to help, Neko?" Bakura assumed lazily.

"Actually, I do," Katilli said, putting her hands on her hips.

Bakura smirked. "Fine, fine. Let us get this over with." He stood.

"Good. Now we know we need to search for Akujin's castle in the Shadow Realm, we just don't know its exact location."

"Okay, let's head to the Shadow Realm!" Yugi said anxiously.

"Not so fast," Katilli said. "Yugi, you and Seto are mortal. Seto has Sorcerer, but you do not have your dark side to take over. You will be completely at the mercy of the Shadow Realm."

"Unless we take him and the others to the castle," Bakura countered. "Which one?"

"Let's go to mine," Seto offered. "It has the three Blue Eyes. Surely that is better than just about any other castle."

Stuck up as always, Yugi thought. "Okay, I guess that is okay as long as we don't get blasted."

"Are you saying I can't control me own dragons?!" Seto shouted. Yugi smiled sheepishly.

"No, it's just that I don't know if your dragons are gonna like me. What if they attack without being told?"

"That is not possible. Monsters in the Realm follow the orders of their master above all else," Katilli explained. "Now, off to the Shadow Realm to rescue Joy and Yami!"

* * *

Joy: There you go! Next chapter is called…let me think for a sec…ok, got it. 'Foiled Rescue' I know that is kind of a spoiler, but I think you all deserve it a bit. Remember to review and see you next time!


	6. Foiled Rescue

Joy: Here I am with Chapter Six! Things are going to heat up, now! At least, I hope you think so. I'm glad everyone liked how Joy told Akujin off. DMoS13 has a good point – Akujin is a bit like Voldemort...sort of. Does anyone else think so? Anyway, hope everyone enjoys this chapter! Read on!

* * *

**Foiled Rescue**

The group reappeared in the Castle of Dragons, Seto's castle, and were greeted by Seto's monsters, including of course, the Blue Eyes White Dragons. They gave their master a slight bow before speaking.

"Master Seto, what is going on? We sense an evil force nearby."

"Joy and the Pharaoh have been taken," Seto said, "but we are here to get them back."

"But first," Katilli spoke up, "we must get to the castle. Anata, can the Ring sense the Puzzle from here?"

Bakura held the Ring. It glowed. The points on the Ring pointed to the north. "There," Bakura said, pointing himself to the direction.

"Okay, Seto, you and Yugi wait here while -"

"No fucking way am I staying here when Joy is in danger. I have every intention of rescuing her myself," Seto countered.

"Very well, but Yugi, you must stay here. Yami cannot shield you from the Realm's affects and you will be in danger."

"Blue Eyes White Dragons, stay here and look after Moto. Make sure he doesn't get killed or anything," Seto ordered. The dragons nodded in acknowledgement. He pulled Ryou aside. "Listen, Ryou. I want you to hold on to Joy's bag for me till we rescue her."

"Why me?" Ryou asked, tilting his head a bit in confusion.

"Because I have a feeling that things are going to get rough at that castle and you could use what's in that bag more than I could. Just hang onto it."

Okay, Kaiba. I will." Ryou took the drawstring bag from Kaiba and tied it around his belt tightly. "It'll be safe with me. I promise."

Seto nodded, and then he and Ryou went back to the others. Katilli gave Yugi a reassuring hug before she and the others vanished. Yugi let out a sigh. The Lord of D. let him to a room where he could get some sleep or just hang out till everyone got back. Yugi went to bed and was soon fast asleep, only to have a very rude awakening.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Yugi leaped up, looking around wildly. Then he saw the person responsible. A very familiar woman. "Reila! You...how did you get in here without the duel monsters seeing you?"

"I'm afraid the duel monsters are a bit preoccupied right now."

Yugi looked at her angrily. "What have you done with the Millennium Puzzle?" he demanded to know.

"Akujin has it. And now I have come to collect you as well."

"And if I refuse to go with you?" Yugi asked, getting slight nervous.

Reila took a step forward. "There is no refusal acceptable to me."

Yugi took a step back as Reila advanced, staff aimed right at him.

…Meanwhile…

Sorcerer, Bakura, and Katilli stood in front of the Castle of Evil, Akujin's Shadow Castle. "The décor leaves much to be desired," Bakura commented.

"In we go," Katilli said, walking up to the enormous gate. She tried to push it open. "Uh! It won't budge!"

"Didn't you ever learn how to knock?" They looked up to see Reila floating above them. In her arms was an unconscious Yugi Moto.

"Yugi!" Katilli shouted in alarm.

"Yugi's fine, Your Highness. Just unconscious. I hope to see you inside. That is, if you can even get inside." She let out a little laugh before vanishing along with Yugi.

"Damn! This is not good. We still must get inside, but how?" Sorcerer asked.

Bakura smirked. "You didn't bring me along for my outrageous good looks. I'll get us in. Just wait here." Bakura jumped up into a window. As soon as he was inside, however, he was forced into separating with Ryou.

Ryou blinked. "Bakura…what…?"

"Silence, landlord!" Bakura hissed. Ryou fell silent. "I suppose I shall have to bring you along. Stay close and stay quiet, got it?" Ryou nodded. "Good. Now come."

Ryou followed Bakura as he silently made his way to the front gates. They had to slip past half a dozen guards and a few sleeping duel monsters before they reached them. Bakura slowly and carefully lowered the gates so Katilli and Sorcerer could enter. As soon as Sorcerer was inside, he was separated from Seto.

"Damn. We got separated," Seto said.

"It must be a defensive spell around the interior of the castle that prevents us from joining as one body," Sorcerer stated.

"All right, then. You two lights stay close. We don't need anymore kidnappings," Katilli ordered. They started off.

Seto nudged Ryou. "You still have the bag I gave you?" Ryou nodded. "Good. Keep it close. Don't let it out of your sight till we find Joy." Ryou agreed.

Then, just as the group had reached a two-way fork in the hallway, the floor where Ryou and Seto stood gave way, causing the two lights to start pummeling through the gap!

Bakura managed to grab onto Ryou's arm as he fell, but Sorcerer and Katilli were unable to grab Seto before he was out of their reach. "Kaiba!" Sorcerer cried on in alarm.

………

Seto fell through the air several dozen feet before his fall was stopped. And he hadn't even gotten to the floor yet. "What the – " he began. Then he spotted a familiar face, one that made his eyes narrow in anger.

"Ah, Seto Kaiba. How nice of you to join us."

"Reila," Seto hissed through gritted teeth.

"It is so relieving to know that you remember me. Saves time that way." With a wave of her hand, Seto was thrown against the wall and chains appeared on his wrists. That's when he noticed Yugi. The teen duelists was still unconscious, and was also chained to the wall

"Do entertain yourself while I am gone, Seto Kaiba. I won't be long. She vanished with a smirk.

"That woman is seriously starting to piss me off!" Seto growled.

………

Bakura pulled Ryou to his feet. "Are you all right, Ryou?" Katilli asked anxiously. Ryou nodded, unable to find his voice at the moment. He was a bit pale, but otherwise unharmed. "Come. We have to keep going, but first, I suggest we find Ryou a suitable hiding place, preferably one that has a steady ground."

* * *

Joy: There you are. Now Yugi and Seto are captive along with Joy. What will happen to them? What does Akujin plan on doing now that he has three captives? And will the darks save their hikaris? And what about Yami? Is he going to get rescued? Just have to wait and see. ;o) Next chapter is called 'No Choice'


	7. No Choice

Joy: Okay, I got another chapter for you. Hope you like this one as much as the last one. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I'm glad you like how I am doing Reila, kurama'sdarkangel1. I was worried I was making her too evil. And don't worry, Midnights, Yami and Kaiba will be okay…eventually. Muahahah! Ahem…sorry. And Joy as Harry…? Hmm…not too bad as a female version of Harry I guess. He is my favorite with Ron and Sirius as close seconds. :-)

I kind of left it at a bad point for our heroes, didn't I. Kaiba and Yugi captured, and the darks having to take on the task of rescuing everyone. Not to mention that Yami is still trapped in the Puzzle and Akujin as it along with the God Cards. Well, let's see what is in store for everyone now, shall we? On with the chapter!

**

* * *

**

**No Choice**

"All right. It is official. We are lost," Sorcerer said, frustrated.

"Relax, Sorcerer. We can use our links to locate them," Katilli explained. "Bakura, how is Ryou doing?"

_Ryou, you better still be on the roof, boy!_

_Calm down! I'm right where you left me, Bakura. It's so quiet out here. Why is that? Have you found Joy and the others yet?_

_No. I will tell you when they have been rescued. Till then, stay right where you are unless you hear from me._

_Okay, Bakura._

"Fine. He is still on the roof where we left him, though communication with him is limited in this place."

"Must be some strange magic field causing it. I cannot contact Joy at all anymore. I can just feel her emotions."

"Really? I am having the same problem concerning Kaiba. Only emotions, nothing more. Right now he is annoyed."

Katilli smiled sadly. "Joy is as well."

Bakura, Katilli, and Sorcerer were making their way to where the three lights were being held. When they rounded the corner where the links were the strongest, they saw I sight that would make anyone take a step back.

The three Egyptian Gods.

"Holy Shit!" Bakura screeched.

"Not much is going to get past those three," Sorcerer commented.

_Except…one monster._ Katilli closed her eyes, trying to focus all her energy into contacting her hikari. She used as much energy as she could spare. _Joy! JOY!_

_Katilli…?_ Joy's mental voice was so distant it was barely heard.

_Joy…not much time…where is Exodia?_

_Kaiba…has it…_ The conversation was cut off after that. Katilli turned to Socerer.

"Kaiba has Joy's Exodia and it is the only monster in any of our lights decks that can face them." They turned when they heard the God's start to advance.

"That is just fucking great! Now what the hell are we supposed to do!" Bakura shouted.

Sorcerer closed his eyes. "I will try to contact Kaiba. He can tell us if he has Exodia with him." There was a pause. _Kaiba?_

_What? Sorcerer…?_

_Yes, we need Exodia…do you have it?_

_Gave it to…Ryou…_ The connection broke.

"Kaiba gave it to Ryou! Bakura, can you summon Exodia?" Sorcerer asked.

"I can't summon it. My powers are too limited in this castle."

"Which means…" Katilli said, slightly paling at the realization.

"We need Ryou!" Sorcerer finished.

…Meanwhile…

Ryou leaned against the stone rail. He was worried about the others, but dare not ask Bakura if everything was all right. _He'll contact me as soon as he can._

_Hikari!_ Ryou jumped at the sound of Bakura's voice in his head.

_Bakura?_

_Who else would it be? Do you have the drawstring bag Kaiba gave you?_

_Yeah, right here._

_Good. Get your ass down her right this second! That bag has Exodia and we need it against these Ra damned Egyptian Gods!_

_I'm on my way! _Ryou rushed down the tower stairs, following Bakura's energy to reach him quickly.

Meanwhile, the three darks were having a hard time keeping the Gods from tearing them apart. Ra and Slifer were the worst. At one point Slifer had Bakura cornered and was going to use its mighty tail to hit him when Sorcerer distracted it with a simple blast of ice. While Slifer was distracted, Bakura managed to get out of the way.

Katilli was having a larger problem keeping Ra from burning her to a crisp while keeping away from Obelisk and his enormous fist. No easy task on either account. She managed to dodge Obelisk, but in the process found herself between a wall and The Winged Dragon of Ra.

_This is it…_ she thought to herself as Ra geared up for his attack.

...While all that was going on...

The door to Joy's room opened and in walked Akujin and 'Kira'. "What the hell do you want now, Akujin. I already told you there was no fucking way I would ever marry you," Joy snapped at him, trying to stand as defiant as she could. She could feel that Katilli was close. Soon she was going to be rescued. And the first thing she was going to do when she was free was kick Akujin's ass so hard that the next Akujin wannabe was going to feel it.

"Oh, I think there is a way, my dear girl. Allow me to show you." He snapped his fingers and they teleported room. Joy looked down to find her wrists were not chained to the wall, but to each other. She scowled at the shackles. _Stupid chains._ Then she looked up and gasped when she saw Yugi and Seto.

Yugi had regained consciousness and Seto had told him what had happened right before there was a small light and Akujin, Reila, and Joy appeared in the room. Joy was wearing shackles on her wrist and when she saw him and Yugi, her eyes grew wide with surprise.

"Yugi! Kaiba! What are you doing here?" she gasped.

"Trying to save you," Yugi answered.

"And getting caught in the process," Seto added in an annoyed voice.

"Now I believe it is time to choose, my dear," Akujin added, coming up behind Joy. He put his hands on her shoulders. She narrowed her eyes and looked to the side and down at the ground. "Either you agree to give me what I want or watch your friends die right now."

Joy turned her head to look at him. "Nani?!"

"You heard me quite clearly. What do you choose?"

Joy looked down at the ground, a panicked expression on her face. _I don't…I don't…I can't…If Akujin gets to the Path of Light, he said he would get something powerful enough to rule the world! If I…but I have to…I can't let anything happen to Kaiba. Not now, not ever. _"I don't have a choice."

"Not really, my dear." Akujin sneered.

Joy closed her eyes and sighed, then opened them again, looking at Seto, who looked rather confused. "I agree to your demand, Akujin. I'll do it."

* * *

Joy: (dodges random objects) Gomen for ending it here, but I had to have it as a cliffy on both sides. Please review and I will get the next chapter up as soon as I can. BTW: The next chapter is called 'I OBJECT!'


	8. I OBJECT!

Joy: Okay, everyone. Wanted to get this one out quickly since it was done anyway. This one is a bit longer, as you can tell. Everyone was a bit angry at Akujin in the last chapter, for obvious reasons, ;o) Maybe there are good things going to happen in this chapter, but you'll just have to find out. So without further delay, here it comes!

* * *

**I OBJECT!**

"I knew you would make the right decision. Come – we shall proceed with the marriage immediately."

"Nani?!" Seto cried.

"M – Marriage?" Yugi asked in disbelief.

"That is right. Now, we must go." Akujin sneered as he took Joy by the arm and pulled her away.

"Joy, you can't marry that bastard!" Seto yelled.

"I didn't really have a choice, Kaiba!" Joy snapped back with a frown. Then she disappeared from the room. Reila turned to follow.

"Reila! Stop right there!" Seto called to her. She turned to face him. "Why are you following that asshole? What's in this for you?"

"More than you will ever know, Seto Kaiba. Believe me when I say that I do not wish to follow him, nor do I intend to for long."

"We could work together, you know," Yugi said. "Akujin has evil purposes, but I don't think you do. Together we can stop him and maybe we can work together and that way everyone benefits. You, too. Evil never wins, you have to know that. Why not be a winner?"

_Hmm…_

_Reila, do we really have to let Akujin get away with all this just to reach the Path of Light?_ The voice of Reila's light, Kira, echoed in her head. _I want to be their friend._

_Perhaps, but we do not know who the other two Keepers of Light are…_

_Maybe they will help us find them. And I don't want Akujin to reach the Path of Light. We were going to turn on him anyway, weren't we? I just don't know if it is a good idea to continue down this path, though I trust your judgment above all others, Reila._

_I know, hikari. _

…Meanwhile…

"Exodia – attack!" Ra was thrown back by the blast from the unstoppable Exodia just as it was about to launch an attack on Katilli.

Katilli looked over and her face broke out in a grin when she saw the mighty beast, with Ryou right next to it. The tide quickly turned to the group's favor. The beast was even a match for the Gods and soon was beating them back when the monsters suddenly disappeared.

"Yeah! All right!" Ryou cheered.

"Good job, Ryou! You were amazing!" Katilli exclaimed, earning a sheepish grin from Ryou and a thank you.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's go!" Bakura said impatiently. The group bursts through the door to find Seto and Yugi, both chained to the wall. "Finally! Hurry the hell up and get us out of here, damn it!" Seto ordered. Katilli rolled her eyes and Sorcerer soon used his magic to free them both.

"Where is Joy?" Katilli asked anxiously. Yugi gave her a worried look.

"We have to get to her quick! She's gonna marry Akujin!"

"What?!" Katilli cried.

"We got used as leverage for him to get Joy to agree to it. Something about it being a way to get him to the Path of Light or something," Seto summed up quickly. "Now, can we GO!"

"We can get there a lot faster on Slifer," Yugi commented.

"Yes, but Slifer is working for Akujin, remember?" Sorcerer reminded him.

"Not anymore. Look!" Yugi pointed to a far side of the room. There was a podium of some sort. On it were the three Egyptian God cards.

"How did they get here? They weren't here a moment ago, were they?" Seto asked.

"Ah, who cares as long as we have them now," Bakura said. Katilli took the cards, examined them for a moment.

"They are the real cards."

"Good, now we have a wedding to stop."

…In another part of the Castle of Evil…

Akujin had taken Joy to a spacious and already prepared chamber for the wedding. The Reaper of Cards was performing the ceremony. Instead of white, black completely decorated the room. Akujin sneered as he stood by Joy. "Do you like the room? I think it brings out your eyes, my dear. And you attire is quite appropriate as well. Already in a dress and ready. It was quite convenient. Soon you will belong to me."

Joy glared back at him. "Akujin, you are such an asshole. If you weren't holding my friends hostage, I would wipe that sneer of your face real fast. And if you think that I am anyone's property, you are sorely mistaken. There is no way in hell that I would ever let you do anything like that to me."

Akujin grabbed Joy by the arm and drew her close. "I don't think you are in a position to be making idle threats. I plan on having a spectacular wedding night in front of the Path of Light with you, my bride."

"Keep dreaming, you piece of shit. Touch me and I'll make sure you never reproduce," Joy hissed back at him, eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Do you take each other to be married?" The Reaper of the Cards asked in a haunting voice.

Akujin smirked, leaning in close till his nose almost touched Joy's. "Say I do, or you will watch your friends be torn to pieces."

Joy growled under her breath. "I –"

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Akujin and Joy turned to see Seto, Yugi, Ryou, and the three darks standing in the doorway.

"Katilli!" Joy cried, her face brightening at the sight of her dark side and the others.

Akujin was outraged. "How did you get free from the magical bonds?" he demanded to know.

Sorcerer laughed. "Those chains were not magical, Akujin," he answered simply.

"What!?" He pushed Joy out of the way and shot a blast at the group. They dodged the blow easily. While an exchange of blows took place, Joy was trying to free herself. Then there was a small flash of light and someone stood beside her. She looked up.

"You!"

"Shhh! You are going to get us both caught, foolish mortal!"

"What?"

Reila pointed her staff at the shackles around Joy's wrist and they disintegrated. "Now I will take you to your Castle. What is the name of it?"

"The…the Castle of Rebirth." Joy could hardly believe her ears. Reila was helping her? "You are going to help us?"

"What does it look like I am doing? Of course I am helping you, silly mortal." She looked up. "Stop fighting! All of you!" All eyes turned to the two young women.

"What is the meaning of this?" Akujin demanded.

Reila smirked. "I have decided that you bore me, Akujin, and quite frankly, I cannot stand to be associated with you any further."

"You're changing sides?!" Seto asked in shock.

"Of course I am. Who do you think left the God Cards where you would get them? You don't honestly think they would just be left there accidentally, do you?" Riela scoffed at the thought.

"You…YOU TRAITOR!" Akujin sent a blast of dark energy right at Reila, which she easily deflected and sent one of her own. It was too quick for the villain to dodge. While he was stunned, she turned to the group.

"Now shall we talk all day or get the hell out of here while we can?" she asked sarcastically. Not waiting for a response, she closed her eyes and after a quick chant the group found themselves in a differently place entirely.

Ryou looked around. "Where are we?" he asked.

"The Castle of Rebirth," Katilli answered.

"Reila, where is your light?" Sorcerer asked.

Reila reached into a side pouch and pulled out a small circular object that resembled a tiny crystal ball. She tossed it up in the air and it transformed into a girl that looked astonishingly like Reila, only this girl had pale blue eyes instead of deep purple ones. "This is my light, Kira." She paused. "Well…say something, hikari or they will think you are rude."

"Sorry...hello…I'm Kira. Sorry about all the trouble we caused." Kira looked down sheepishly, seemingly quite timid and shy. She was blushing slightly from the attention she was getting.

"Don't worry about it, Kira. We're just glad you and Reila decided to join our side," Yugi said.

"Which brings up the question of why you changed sides," Seto said, raising an eyebrow.

"We were going to dump Akujin after the Path of Light was open anyway. This was only a small detour and you seemed like you could be more able to get us there than he was," Reila explained with a shrug.

"You aren't too terribly mad at us are you, Mr. Kaiba?" Kira asked worriedly.

"Of course not. It has always been my life's dream to get captured and chained to a wall in the Shadow Realm," Seto responded sarcastically.

"Good, then your dream has come true. Glad we could help," Reila said with a smirk, earning her a growl from Seto.

* * *

Joy: There you go! A bit longer and hopefully good! Keep those reviews coming! It is called: 'Dark Magician Girl?' 


	9. The Dark Magician Girl?

Joy: Happy Halloween! As a special treat, I am giving you chapter nine! A costume Halloween party in this chapter! Thanks to all that reviewed! Oh, and DMoS13,I'm afraid I haven't seen that music video, but I might check it out sometime if I can. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

**The Dark Magician Girl?**

The day went quite quietly. Ryou told everyone about a Halloween costume party that was going to be held at the Domino City Skating Rink at nine o'clock and they all agreed to attend. Soon, the group prepared to go back to the mortal realm.

"Are you sure you do not wish to stay here for a bit longer, Mistress Joy? We could offer you protection," Dark Magician Girl asked.

"I need to let my father know I am all right and I definitely don't want to miss the party tonight. Don't worry. I'll be okay."

"What about the Puzzle? We have to get it back right away?" Yugi asked.

"Worry not, Yugi. I have a plan that will insure the Puzzle's safe return," Katilli said with a wink. "But I'll need your clothes, hikari."

Joy blinked. "Um…okay," she agreed. "Do you want them now?" Katilli nodded. "Well, I guess I can change into my costume here. With Dark Magician Girl's help, of course."

"Of course, my lady. What do you wish to wear?"

"I want the same clothes you're wearing!" Joy said with a smile.

"You want to dress up in the Dark Magician Girl for the party, Joy?" Ryou asked. Joy nodded.

"Very well. Hold still, my lady." Dark Magician Girl tapped Joy lightly on the head and she glowed briefly before the blue and pink outfit appeared on her, fitting perfectly.

"Wow! You look just like her, Joy!" Yugi exclaimed. Another tap and Katilli was in the lavender dress Joy was previously wearing.

"Well, well, Neko. You look rather nice, though I think a black dress would be much better," Bakura commented.

"One problem," Seto said. "Joy's hair."

"Yes, you are quite similar except the hair. Can you fix it?" Reila asked the duel monster.

The monster nodded and pointed her staff at Joy, creating a soft breeze, blowing Joy's back and turning it from black to blonde. The only thing unchanged was the white strand. "That magic is too powerful for me to alter, mistress."

"It's okay. I'm actually quite used to it. We better get going guys."

"I will go save my brother. Yugi, you and Joy keep close to Bakura, Sorcerer, and Reila. And Kira, could you attend this party, too? Just to have safety in numbers?" Kira nodded.

"You trust me with your light?" Reila asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You helped us. I am willing to give you the benefit of a second chance. But I believe you will not betray us." Reila nodded in response and turned to the others.

"I will teleport us to the mortal realm," Reila offered.

"Hold on, my lady. You forgot a part of the costume. Here," Dark Magician Girl said. She held out her staff.

Joy blinked. "Really?"

"Take it. It might help. It will read your mind and obey your will."

Joy hugged the duel monster. "Thank you so much!"

The group reappeared at the Game Shop a few moments later. Yugi's grandfather had gone to run some errands. Joy went to use Yugi's phone to call her father, explaining what had happened. The others milled around, waiting for her to finish so they could talk.

_Joy looks good, ne?_ Sorcerer asked with a mental smirk. Seto fought back a blush.

_Shut up, Sorcerer…_ he snapped back.

_Never seen her dressed so…little._

_Shut it!_ Seto ordered, his blush finally breaking through. Must to his dismay, it was right before Joy got off the phone. She noticed the blush. "Why, Kaiba, is that a blush I detect?" she asked with a smirk.

"Of course not!" Seto snapped, frustrated with himself.

"Seto, you don't need to be so defensive. I need to make another phone call, but I can do it from my cell phone that's in my bag." She looked at Ryou.

"Oh! Gomen nasai, Joy. Here you go." He handed her the drawstring bag.

"Arigatou for keeping it safe, Ryou. Now, are we going to Kaiba Manor?"

"Yeah. Let me send for my limo and we'll get going."

When they got to Kaiba Corp, Joy went up to her room to make the call. Who did she call? A dear friend, Merina Lopez. It rang about three times before she answered.

_"Hello?"_ Merina asked in English.

"Merina? It's Joy. I gotta talk, are you free right now?"

_"Sure. I got a few minutes, what's up?"_

"Seto said he loved me."

_"Really?"_ she giggled. _"It's about time!"_

"Very funny, Merina. I need help!"

_"Relax, girl. What did you say when he told you that?"_

"I…I couldn't say anything really. I kind of got abducted by a madman bent on world domination or some other evil plot. But now that things are semi-normal, I need to figure things out and decide how to tell him how I feel."

_"How do you feel? You love him back don't you?"_

"Of course! I guess it was obvious, huh?"

_"Only a lot."_ She laughed. _"I guess you need a way to tell him that you love him back, right?"_

"Yeah. I want it to be romantic and wonderful and spectacular and…"

_"Okay. Just think of the perfect romantic setting and mimic it. That would be the best approach."_

"That sounds great! I already have an idea for what I want…sort of." Joy laughed. "Thanks a lot Merina. I guess I just needed to be reassured a bit."

_"Don't worry. I'm sure Kaiba will love it no matter what as long as he knows how you feel."_

"Thanks a lot, Merina. You're one hell of a friend."

_"Yeah, I know."_

After getting off the phone with Merina, Joy thought for a moment about what to say to Seto when she told him. _I know I can do this…it's just really out of my league._

There was a knock at the door and Yugi came in. "We're going to go get our costumes and get ready for the party. Kaiba said he was heading to Kaiba Corp. for a while and couldn't go to the party."

"Okay. I'm going to stay here for a moment. I don't want to turn heads. Listen, can you ask Bakura or Reila to stay here till you get back? I promised Katilli I wouldn't be alone, remember?" Yugi nodded.

…Later that evening…

Joy and the others arrived at the Domino Skating Rink for the costume party. Yugi had dressed up as a vampire. "Yugi, I must say that you are the cutest vampire I've ever seen," Joy joked, earning a playful glare from the duelist.

"I really wanted to be scary, but cute will have to do I guess. To bad Kaiba isn't here."

Joy sighed. "Yeah, I know."

Ryou and Kira were right behind them. Ryou was dressed as a pirate and Kira was dressed as a Grecian Goddess. "This is a cool party," Ryou commented, "though I really don't know how to skate."

"I can teach you," Kira offered. Ryou nodded in agreement.

Yugi and Joy already knew how to skate, so they took right to the ice. Kira helped Ryou and pretty soon he was showing that he was a fast learner and matching her in speed.

What if Akujin shows up here? Kira asked her dark side.

Relax, hikari. I will take care of it. Just keep an eye on those three.

All right. Whatever you say.

Joy had learned how to figure skate at an early age and it was one of the things she was good at. Ryou and Yugi got dizzy watching her do spins and turns. "That's pretty good, Joy!" Yugi called. Joy smiled back.

Just then the lights went out. There was screaming and talking as people rushed out of the rink. Someone knocked into Ryou and he fell into Yugi, causing them both to end up on the floor. Joy was doing her best to avoid other people and adjust her eyes to the dark. She held up the staff.

_I need some light._ The staff glowed, lighting up the whole rink. She saw Yugi and Ryou getting to their feet, helped up by Kira.

"There they are!" The group turned to see Akujin's henchmen heading their way.

"Shit!" Joy muttered. Then she came up with an idea. "I'm the Dark Magician Girl. Play along," she whispered to the others. Using the power of the staff, Joy caused herself to hover about a foot off of the ground and position herself in front of her friends.

Yugi blinked, then smiled, catching on. "Back off!" he yelled. "Or my Dark Magician Girl will attack!" He silently prayed the assailant would obey. He didn't know if Joy could attack.

"You better do as he says," Kira added, "or you'll be toast!"

"You're bluffing!" one of them said. "No way would you order an attack in here!" A few of them looked less than happy about the situation.

"There's no one else here but us, baka! No innocent people to worry about!" Kira countered, surprised by her boldness. She turned to Yugi. "Attack, Yugi. They're too stupid to be missed."

She felt Reila's surprise through their link. _Wow, hikari. I didn't know you could be so aggressive._

_Me neither._

"Dark Magician Girl – Dark –"

"Stop!" another henchmen called out worriedly. "We'll leave, but we'll get you someday soon! This isn't the last you've heard from us!" Then they fled the building.

Ryou and Yugi cheered as Joy and Kira exchanged smiles and high-fives. "We did it!" Joy exclaimed with a grin. "Wait till our darks hear about this! And you were so cool, Kira! And you too, Yugi!"

Kira blushed. "I wasn't that great."

"Oh, don't be so modest." Yugi insisted. "I bet Reila's impressed."

_Sure am!_

_Reila! Stop making me embarrassed!_

_Standing up for others should not be embarrassing, hikari. It should fill you with pride, as it does for me when I see you do it._

Kira left out a soft cough. "I guess we should get back to Kaiba Manor as it looks like the party came to an abrupt end."

They headed out of the rink and started for Joy's car. "You sure you don't want to stay in that outfit, Joy?" Ryou asked with a smile. "It sure came in handy." Yugi and Kira laughed.

"Very funny, guys, but no. I'll leave being the Dark Magician Girl to the real thing."

* * *

Joy: There you go! Chapter 9! Remember to review and see you next time! 


	10. The Wound

Joy: Short chapter this time. Sorry about that, but it's just how it worked out. And I am sorry about the HUGE delay in getting this chapter to you. The next one will come faster…I hope. Anyway, thanks to everyone that reviewed and keep it up! Here comes chapter 10!

* * *

**The Wound**

Joy and the others arrived back at Kaiba Manor a little after twelve-thirty. Seto was back and sitting on the couch, his laptop in front of him. Joy hurriedly told him all that had happened during the evening. Then the group changed out of their costumes and relaxed. Joy headed to the TV room and was just starting to watch a movie when the lights went out for a few minutes. When they came back on, Akujin stood in the room with her.

"Akujin!" Joy gasped.

"That's right, girl. Are you ready to die?" He pulled out a long sword, its golden hilt glistening. This is the Sword of Kai girl! One scratch from it and your soul will slowly be sucked from your body and be ripped into tiny pieces."

"But if I die, you will never get to the Path of Light."

"There is another way I have discovered to get there. If all the keepers of light are killed, then the Path will open on this plane." He took a menacing step forward. "One scratch is all I need to finish you off."

Joy closed her eyes and performed the one spell she knew. Teleportation. She disappeared and reappeared in the hall right outside the room. "Kaiba! KAIBA!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Seto and the others ran out into the hall just as Akujin came out of the room he was just in, sword poised to attack. "Joy!" Seto shouted. "Look out!" Joy turned as Akujin swung the sword. The sword cut into the soft skin of Joy's left forearm. She let out a scream as she fell, clenching her injured arm with her good one. Seto scooped her up and carried her off to another room.

Reila was quick to take control of her light's body. "Akujin." She glared at him with narrow eyes. He smirked back at her.

"I thought you needed her," Yugi said, confused. "To fulfill the requirements to open the Path of Light. You said so yourself."

"Not now that I have found an alternative way to open the Path of Light. As long as I have the three Items, I can open the way if I kill all three keepers of light. And there are only two more left to deal with. You see, if you even get hurt by one of the Items of Legend, your soul will be sucked from your body and torn to pieces. In one hour, you foolish friend will be no more and I will be one step closer to my goal!" Akujin let out a malicious laugh as he vanished into thin air.

Yugi and Reila rushed into the living room to find Seto tending to Joy's still bleeding wound. The girl was deathly pale and breathing heavily, and she appeared to be unconscious. Reila explained what Akujin did. "There better be a way to reverse this," he growled.

"I…I do not know of a way to help her. And if we cannot find a way, she will die in one hour, her soul gone forever."

Yugi took a seat near Joy as Seto finished and stood. "There has to be something we can do," Yugi said, his voice sad and worried over his friend. _Poor Joy. How can we save her?_ He took her pale hand, holding it in his own. Suddenly, Yugi began to glow. "What the –"

Then he began to feel tired, like he did not have much energy as before. Joy slowly opened her eyes halfway, letting out a soft moan. "Joy!" Ryou exclaimed, his eyes wide.

Yugi gasped. Joy closed her eyes and took in a sharp breath. Then they both lost consciousness. Reila caught Yugi and eased him down to the ground. "What happened?" Ryou asked.

"I am not sure, but I believe Yugi…healed her. Check her wound, Kaiba."

Seto quickly checked the girl's wound to discover that there was no wound. It had completely healed, leaving not even a scar in remembrance. Seto and Ryou blinked. "She is completely healed!" Seto exclaimed.

"But are they going to be okay?" Ryou asked worriedly.

"I believe so, but just to be sure we should have them looked at by a doctor," Reila suggested. Seto agreed, saying that he would get his personal physician to examine them. The two teenagers were taken to separate rooms and Seto called the doctor.

"So," Ryou said a few moments later, "I suppose killing the keepers of light is his main objectives now."

"You know, I believe I may be able to explain how Yugi was able to save Joy," Reila said. "He is also a keeper of light. It is said that the keepers of light are the only ones that can properly manipulate the three items and they each have their own item. Meaning that each keeper has an item that they can control and thus can reverse any effects of. If the Sword of Kai is Yugi's item, then that would be a good explanation for why he was able to heal her from a wound made by the item."

"So now we only need to find out who the last keeper of light was, right?" Ryou asked. "How do –" He was cut off when the group heard a small cry and a THUD! They rushed into the hall to see Katilli sitting on the floor, blinking in surprise and looking around.

Bakura came out of the Ring in a physical form of his own and helped her up. "Neko, what happened?" he asked, raising a tentative eyebrow. Katilli smirked, then held up a very familiar golden object on a chain.

"The Millennium Puzzle!"

* * *

Joy: YEAH! Got Yami back! There you go Yami Midnight! Yami is back! Oh yeah! Ahem…yes, I am mature. I am one with the universe. XD Ok, the next chapter explains what happened with Katilli and how she saved Yami. It is called: 'Things that make you go – Hmmm…' Till then, review!


	11. Things That Make You Go 'Hmm'

Joy: Here comes the next chapter! Now you find out what happened and how Katilli got Yami back. Thanks to all who reviewed! Everyone is waiting for Katilli's explanation, so here it is!

* * *

**Things That Make You Go Hmmm…**

"So, how did you get the Puzzle back?" Ryou asked as they all sat down to wait for the doctor to get done. Katilli had the Puzzle resting in her lap.

"It has been quite an evening. When I left you all, I went directly to the Castle of Evil…"

…Flashback…

"Akujin!"

A voice could be heard from the roof of the castle. "Well, well. Houyoku. I would have thought that you would be off hiding with you precious dark by now. Why are you here…alone nonetheless."

"I would never hide from you, Akujin! I have thought about it and have decided to join you willingly."

There was a pause before the gates to the castle swung open. Katilli stepped inside. An instant later, Akujin appeared. "So…you were saying?" he asked.

"I have decided I like the thought of world domination a lot better than friendship," Katilli said, stepping closer.

"And for that I would make you very happy," Akujin said with a sneer.

It was then that Katilli noticed a golden object around the madman's neck. _He's wearing the Puzzle. And he has totally fallen for my ruse. He must have a brain the size of a grain of sand. This should not be too hard at all._ Katilli got even closer, trying her hardest not to become sick from the proximity of their bodies. Akujin leaned over to kiss her neck. (AN: Had to cut in here – YUCK!!!) Katilli wrapped her arms around his neck, but while she did that, her fingers locked onto the Millennium Puzzle. When Akujin moved away and stepped back, Katilli pulled the Puzzle over his head.

"Ha! Got it!" Akujin's eyes narrowed in anger. "Aww…whatever is wrong, Akujin? Disappointed because you lost, or that I am not really Joy Houyoku?"

"Mark my words, foolish woman – I WILL have my revenge!"

Katilli didn't stick around for Akujin to see vengeance. She quickly fled the castle and summed her Red-Eyes for a quick getaway. Akujin was right behind her on another dragon. He fired a skillfully aimed blast right at her, hitting her in the back of the shoulder and causing her to cry out in pain. But she continued to escape the villain and soon she and the Red-Eyes had evaded him completely. A few moments later, the Red-Eyes landed at the Castle of Rebirth. As soon as she stepped off the dragon, Katilli collapsed.

Slowly Katilli regained consciousness. The first thing she saw was Yami's relieved face staring back down at hers.

"Yami?"

Yami nodded. "Yes. Thank goodness you are all right. You worried me when you passed out. It is good that your Red-Eyes was able to get you here quickly. The wound was serious, but nothing your Mystical Elf could not deal with."

Katilli sat up with Yami's help. "We're at the Castle of Rebirth, then?" Yami nodded. "Thank Ra we made it! But, how long have I been out?" she asked.

"Several hours. Joy and the others will be wondering about us if we do not return soon. Yugi is all right, is he not?"

"Oh, yes. I am having Sorcerer and the other darks look after our lights. There is so much to tell you, my brother."

Yami put his hand up. "Do not worry about it. The duel monsters have already told me the story of Joy and the others and their escape. And about our new ally as well. I believe her name is Reila?"

"Yes. I am glad they told you. It saves a lot of time. Now, we have to get back to the mortal realm. Are you ready, Yami?"

Yami nodded. "As long as you are not still in pain, sister."

"I am fine." With that said, the two darks thanked the monsters and bid them goodbye as they vanished back to the mortal realm.

…End Flashback…

"And the rest you know."

"Where is Yami now? In the Puzzle?" Kira asked. Katilli nodded.

"I will return this to Yugi when the doctor is finished."

…Later…

Katilli sat the Puzzle next to Yugi's bedside. The doctor had told them that the two teens would be all right after a day of rest. He suggested that they just lounge around for the day and to not do anything too strenuous until they feel one hundred percent again.

Yami appeared in spirit form when Katilli sat the Puzzle down. "I will watch over Yugi now. You should see to Joy." Katilli agreed and went to Joy's room, where Seto was already sitting by her bed.

"Kaiba, I suppose there is no way to get you to take some time to sleep, then?" Katilli asked. Seto raised an eyebrow. "I had to ask."

"No thanks. I am going to be in the room until she is awake. Then I have to get to Kaiba Corp. and get some work done."

Katilli shook her head. "Kaiba, do you ever sleep?"

"Not if I can help it."

Meanwhile, Yugi was already waking up. He blinked several times to clear his vision. There was someone standing over him, but it was a few seconds before he recognized who it was. "Yami! You're back!" Yami gave him a soft smile and pulled himself into a physical form in time for Yugi to leap up and give Yami a hug. "I'm glad you're okay, Yami. I was worried."

"I am sorry to have worried you, aibou. But all is well now."

Yugi suddenly looked worried. "But Joy –"

"She is fine, thanks to you. You saved her life, Yugi."

"How was Katilli able to get you back, Yami? Tell me everything that has happened."

Yami smiled at Yugi's excitement. "All right. I will tell you what happened. We have some time."

Katilli was so relieved when Joy awakened. They talked for a while, but Joy was still a bit tired, so Katilli returned to her soul room and Joy got some sleep, her mind at ease by her dark's return. A while later, despite everything, Seto also fell asleep in his chair by the bed.

…That afternoon…

Joy and Yugi were feeling much better when they got some more sleep. Seto went to work at Kaiba Corp. after making sure Joy was going to be all right. Everyone had lunch and were just settling down to relax in front of the TV when Joy's cell phone rang.

"Moshi moshi?"

_"Joy, it's your father. How are you doing, princess?"_

"Fine, though I have had quite a day. Do you need me?"

_"With all the chaos of the last twenty four hours, there are some things that I need to sort out, so for now, I don't think there is an immediate need for you to rush over, though there is something I need you to do."_

"Of course! Name it!"

Steven laughed. _"Your enthusiasm is uplifting, dear. I am having a press conference in three days and I need you to write me up a short speech, sort of like a statement explaining the events at the ball and my purpose in coming to Domino. I also expect you to be present at the conference. Okay?"_

"Absolutely! I'll get right on it!"

_"Don't rush or it will not be your best work. Also make sure you are back at the hotel by midnight. In honesty, I have been concerned about you and would like to talk to you about some things. Agreed?"_

"Yes, daddy."

_"Good. Till then you have a clean plate. See you tonight, Joy."_

"Right. See you then. Bye dad." Joy hung up and filled them in on what she had to do. Then the group relaxed with a good movie. (AN: Insert favorite movie here. :-) ) After the movie, Yugi said he had to go back to the Game Shop. Ryou decided to get home, too, so he could get some dinner. Kira said she was staying in a hotel just a few short blocks from the Game Shop, so she walked home with Yugi.

Joy bid her friends goodbye and said she was going to stick around Kaiba Manor for a few more hours. Her and Mokuba chatted and play video games, all the while Joy was trying to clear her mind enough to perform her dad's assignment.

…That evening…

"Well, I gotta get back to the hotel. Tell Kaiba I'll be online so we can talk, okay, Mokuba?"

"Gotcha!"

Joy smiled, thanked him, and then headed off. In about twenty minutes, she pulled into the hotel parking lot. She headed to the desk, where there was a message from her father saying that if she got there before him that he would be back before it got too late. Joy went up to her room and took out her notebook to free write. She often did that before she began any writing assignment for her dad.

After that, she went to the desk where her laptop rested and began to type. A few moments later, she received a notice that Seto was online.

- Hey, Kaiba! –

/ Hey. Why did you leave so early? Mokuba told me you said you didn't have to leave till late tonight. /

- I know, but I needed to get back to think. I am trying to work on my father's speech for the press conference in a few days. I don't want to wait till the last minute. –

/ But you shouldn't overdo it./

- I'm not. I'm just trying to work. And look who's talking, Mr. CEO! –

/ Yeah, well, I didn't get stabbed by an ancient sword, either. /

- Well, I'm still ticking, so it wasn't so bad. –

Just then Joy heard the door open. She turned and her father greeted her. "Hey, dad. Hold on a moment. I'm talking to someone."

"Oh? And who would that be?" Steven leans forward and looks over his daughter's shoulder. "Seto Kaiba, eh? Well, go on and talk. When you're done, I'll be in my room. There are some things I want to talk to you about."

"Okay, dad. I'll be there in just a few minutes." Steven left the room and Joy turned back to the computer, where there was a new instant message.

/ You should not brush it off like that, Houyoku. /

- Aww…worried about me? That's so sweet. –

/ Houyoku, if you recall, I have already discussed my feelings with you. Which I have yet to hear a response for, might I add. I'm curious as to how you feel about me. /

- Well…I would love to respond. How about I go over to Kaiba Corp tomorrow? We can eat lunch together or something. –

/ …All right. Be here at noon and it's a deal. /

- Good. See ya then. I gotta go talk to dad. –

/ Goodbye. /

* * *

Joy: Long chapter!! YEAH! Next chapter is gonna be up as soon as I can! It's called…let me see… 'Phone Tag'! Till then, review and see you later! 


	12. Phone Tag

Joy: Hey, everyone. HUGE delay, sorry about that. I have been kind of busy and stuff, but here we go! Some quick cameo appearances in this chapter and the next one as well, but it is all part of the story. Trust me! (grins) Thank you to all who reviewed. Everyone has been eagerly awaiting Joy telling Kaiba, I see. Well, here's the next chapter!

* * *

**Phone Tag**

"So, what did you want to talk to me about, dad?" Joy asked as she settled down in one of the big comfy chairs of her father's hotel room.

"Just some things I have noticed. Observations, if you will." Steven said as he too sat down across from Joy.

"Oh?" Joy said, tilting her head a bit. "What kind of observations?"

"Like your feelings for Seto Kaiba."

Joy blinked, and then looked away, unable to hide the slight blush on her face. "Why…well…um…" She sighed. "Was it that obvious?"

"Joy, I am your father, and though I am also in charge of a company, that does not mean that I do not pay attention when it concerns you and your feelings. Besides," Steven added with a smile. "The look you gave that boy at the ball was the same look your mother gave me many times."

There was a slight pause. "He told me he loves me already," Joy said with a smile.

"And you told him the same, yes?" Steven prompted.

"I didn't get a chance to respond before all the chaos that night and afterwards," Joy responded. "But we agreed to meet for lunch tomorrow. I'm going to tell him then."

"Good. Now you be sure to keep me posted." Joy nodded eagerly.

"So…is everyone upset about the ball?" Joy asked.

"No, just curious as to what happened and why. This is why I need to hold the press conference. How's the assignment coming along?"

"I started on it just before Seto got online. I'm going to go finish it up now. Then proofread and be done before morning."

"Well, then, my little worker bee," Steven said with a smile. "I'll let you get back to it. If you do get it done, you get a free day tomorrow. Just be sure not to stay up too late, young lady. There is time to do it tomorrow if need be."

"Right, daddy." She got up, let her dad kiss her forehead, then went back to her laptop to continue working.

The next day, Joy got up a bit late. She rushed around the room, hurriedly getting dressed. Katilli appeared in spirit form. "You are going to be late, you know," she gently scolded. "Kaiba Corp. is on the other side of Domino City. At least a thirty minute drive from here."

"I know! I know! I'm hurrying!" Joy grabbed her drawstring bag and rushed out of the room, locking the door before fleeing to the elevator. Then she hurried out to her car and headed off.

Joy got to Kaiba Corp with about five minutes to spare. She swiftly slid past the reception desk and to the elevator. She didn't have but five more minutes till she was late for her get together with Kaiba.

"Excuse me!" She froze, then turned to see an annoyed looking woman not too much older than her glaring back at her from right behind her. "You can't just barge in like that!"

"Kaiba is expecting me," Joy told her.

"Well, Mr. Kaiba is incredibly busy right now to see you. You'll have to come back some other time."

"Bullshit! We have a lunch appointment for noon today and I intend to get up to his office on time. Now if you don't let me through right now, I'll just force my way through!"

"Young lady, if you do not leave immediately, I will summon security!" Joy snorted and started to continue to the elevator, but the woman grabbed her arm. Joy looked at her with a look of death.

"Listen here, lady. If you don't let go of my arm and I mean fast, I'll summon my fist and shove it up your ass!" The woman looked startled and let go. Joy continued to glare at her for a second before stepping into the elevator.

_Joy, I sense you are angry. Are you okay?_

_NO!_ Joy took a deep breath. _Sorry. That damn receptionist! She better not get security after me!_

_Relax,__ aibou. Kaiba will take care of it._

_He better._ Joy burst into Kaiba's office. He looked up from his laptop, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "Did I make it? That damn receptionist of yours delayed me by at least five minutes."

"Don't worry about it. I was working on something and didn't notice the time. I'll grab my coat and we can get going." He stood.

"Kaiba, before we leave, I wanted to tell you… I…think what you said at the ball was so incredibly romantic. I would never have thought that you could be so articulate and say those things. I just wish I could tell you how I feel so well. Just know that I feel the exact same way that you do. I love you and I think getting into a relationship with you would make my life complete. I have had to spend the entire summer trying to fight my feelings down thinking that you would laugh at me. When you told me how you felt, I was so surprised and ecstatic that I could not form words. It was like that weight that had been on my shoulders for months had been lifted. You are always there for me, Seto Kaiba. Every since we met every time I needed help, there you were. And…oh the hell with it!" She leaped forward into Seto's arms and their lips met.

The feeling was like a rush of sensation, like a lightning bolt coursing though their bodies. Joy had never been kissed like this. She felt a surge of emotions flow through her, making her feel lightheaded and yet full of strength at the same time. Seto tasted like a sweet cinnamon, and she could not get enough of the taste. She wanted to stay like this forever, just in his warm embrace.

Seto was also overrun with emotions that threatened to topple him. Kissing Joy was nothing like he ever experienced before. It wasn't something he would want to end soon, either. Joy tasted like a sweet chocolate, a taste that was almost foreign to him and that made it even better. He could stay like this forever, holding her in his arms and being this close and their lips together is such harmony.

Then the door to Seto's office burst open and they broke apart hastily as two men in suits and dark shades rushed into the room, guns drawn.

"What the hell?!" Seto demanded.

"Mr. Kaiba! We received word from your receptionisht that a strange woman had threatened her and was possibly assaulting you at this moment."

Joy's expression immediately turned foul. "Why that no account little piece of – " Joy began. Seto interrupted her.

"Tell her I will be down immediately to talk to her," he told the two men, who bowed and left the room. Seto turned to Joy. "Stay here. I'll be right back for you and my trenchcoat as soon as I chat with her."

"Good idea. If I go down there they won't be able to identify her body."

…Meanwhile…

Ryou had come over to the Game Shop around noon to chat and have lunch with Yugi. Yugi was a bit depressed because his grandfather had to go off on some archeological conference in England for a month. Now they were sitting down and watching their dark sides duel. Suddenly the two darks stood up with serious looks on their faces.

"What's wrong?" Yugi asked.

"Not sure, aibou. There is some disturbance…in the Shadow Realm."

"Akujin?" Ryou asked.

"Possibly," Bakura supplied. The two lights exchanged looks of worry. Then they jumped when the phone rang. Yugi answered.

"Moshi moshi? Yugi speaking."

_"Hey Yugi!"_

Yugi blinked. "Sakura?"

_"Yep!__ How ya been?"_

"Okay for now. It's been really hectic lately."

_"Same here.__ Listen, Cala and Caru have just gone to the Shadow Realm. They got some bad vibes from there just a few minutes ago and went to check it out."_

"Wow. The same thing happened here when Yami and Bakura felt something."

_"Could one of them go and investigate too? I'm worried about those two being there alone if there's big trouble. Even with the duel monsters."_

Yugi asked Yami about it. "I agree to go. Where are they?"

_"They're at the __Castle__ of __Gemini__, my castle in the Shadow Realm. Thanks, Yugi. I really appreciate it a lot."_

"No problem. I'm sure Yami would have wanted to check it out anyway."

…Meanwhile…

As Joy waited for Kaiba to return, Katilli appeared in spirit form. "Joy, there is something wrong. There is some imbalance in the Shadow Realm. I can feel it."

Just then Joy got a phone call on her cell phone. "Moshi moshi? Joy speaking."

_"Greetings, Joy. It's Moon Shadow."_

"Moon Shadow? Hello! How are you?"

_"I am fine and hope you are as well. But there is a pressing problem at the moment."_

"Really? What is it?"

_"There is a disturbance in the Shadow Realm."_

"Katilli just felt it, too. Do you think it's serious?"

_"Yes. Luna has just gone to look into it. Perhaps Katilli could join her and get to the bottom of this."_

Joy relayed the suggestion to her dark. "Katilli says she is on her way."

_"I thank you both. I will try to call later if I may."_

"Absolutely. Talk to you then. Bye." She hung up. "It may be Akujin. Fill Luna in and make sure things are stable. I'll talk to Kaiba. See if you can get Yami to go with you." Katilli nodded, and then vanished. A second later, Seto walked in.

"I'm ready to go," he said.

"Great!" Joy said with a huge grin. She wrapped her arms around his arm and they left the building together.

* * *

Joy: Okay, I don't know if I can get much sappier than for now. Planning on doing a one-shot lemon in the future, but I need to know – who do I do a lemon between? It will be my first one on this site, though I have written them before. Should I do one with Bakura/Katilli? That would be the easiest I suppose, but I'll let you readers decide. 

The next chapter is called: Chaos in the Shadow Realm. See you next time and remember to review!


	13. Chaos in the Shadow Realm

Joy: Here comes the next chapter! Glad you all liked that Joy FINALLY told Seto how she feels. I just loved dragging it out for an annoyingly long time. ;-) Anyway, this one deals with the problems going on in the Shadow Realm. Read and enjoy!

**

* * *

**

**Chaos in the Shadow Realm**

Yami appeared at the Castle of Gemini and was immediately shocked by what he saw. The castle was in shambles. Part of one wall was gone and one tower was completely demolished. _This is horrible!_ Yami thought as he evaluated the damage. The duel monsters were scattered around the castle. Some were tending to their wounded comrades and others were trying to gather the monsters who were not hurt and make some sort of defense.

Yami appeared at the Castle of Gemini and was immediately shocked by what he saw. The castle was in shambles. Part of one wall was gone and one tower was completely demolished. Yami thought as he evaluated the damage. The duel monsters were scattered around the castle. Some were tending to their wounded comrades and others were trying to gather the monsters who were not hurt and make some sort of defense. 

"Pharaoh!" Yami turned to see the twins run over to him. "The castle was attacked!"

"By whom?" Yami asked, still a bit shocked.

"No one knows who was behind the attack, but an army of duel monsters made a surprise attack on the castle," Cala explained.

"Hmm…" Yami frowned. "Why would they attack your castle?" It didn't make sense. _Why would Akujin attack the Castle of Gemini?_ Unless Akujin was not behind this attack. If that was the case, there was yet another enemy to worry about.

"They may be going after other castles as well," Caru reasoned. "What should we do, Pharaoh Yami?"

"You two stay here and build up as best of a defense as possible. Use your link and tell Sakura what happened and that you will keep her informed but do not allow her to come here. It may be too dangerous for the lights at this time. I am going to check up on some of the other castles, starting with my own. I will inform Yugi when I am sure of what is going on." The two women nodded and Yami left for his own castle: The Castle of Ancients. (AN: Nice name, ne?)

Yami arrived as the castle he and Yugi shared and was relieved to find everything all right. He allowed himself a sigh of relief. The Dark Magician and a few other of his duel monsters came over to him. "My pharaoh, what is it that brings you here? Is something wrong?"

"A Shadow Castle was attacked by a mysterious army of duel monsters. We must strengthen this castle's defenses at once!"

…Meanwhile…

Katilli made it to the Castle of Night, Moon Shadow's Castle, and couldn't believe her eyes. The mighty castle was barely standing. Most of one entire side of the castle was destroyed and the gate had been totally blown off. _Oh my Ra…_ Katilli breathed as she entered the castle and surveyed the chaos.

She jumped at the sound of a roar, spinning around to face Moon Shadow's Harpie's Pet Dragon. The monster roared again. "Stand down, dragon!" Luna walked over to it. "Katilli, it is good you came, though I wish our meeting was under brighter circumstances."

"As do I. What happened here? This place is nearly in ruins!"

Luna frowned. "Yes. It was apparently a surprise attack by some army of duel monsters. None of my monsters are sure who was leading the attack and it was all quite sudden."

"And the duel monsters? How are they?" Katilli asked anxiously.

"Some are injured, but I believe they will recover. I know this army may strike again at any time. We must stop them!" Luna exclaimed, her face showing her determination. Katilli nodded firmly in agreement.

"Lady Katilli!"

The two spirits looked up to see Joy's Dark Magician Girl and her Red-Eyes Black Dragon coming their way. "Dark Magician Girl…is something wrong?" Katilli asked.

"My lady, an army has been spotted heading towards the Castle of Ancients!" the duel monster explained.

The two spirits looked shocked and worried. "Take me there at once! We must warn them!" Katilli jumped up on the back of the Red-Eyes, right behind the Dark Magician Girl. "Luna, try to get your monsters ready just in case there is another attack on this castle. We will go and warn the Castle of Ancients." Luna nodded and Katilli and her two monsters flew off.

When they reached the brightly lit castle, they were relieved that it all was well. It seems the duel monsters were preparing for a strong defense against any possible attacks. They landed in the courtyard, where Katilli was elated to see Yami talking to the Dark Magician.

"I see you already heard about the attack on the Castle of Night, my brother." Yami turned to his sister.

"Ah, sister. Good to see you are here. But did I hear you correctly when you said there was another attack? I know of the one on the Castle of Gemini, but I did not hear of any other attacks."

"I am afraid so, Yami. You should see the damage. It was tremendous. And another castle was attacked?"

"Yes. But no one was too injured to be beyond healing. Now we must pull together for a strong defense before any of the rest of the castles are attacked."

"That is why I came here. It seems the army responsible is heading this way. They are intent on striking the Castle of Ancients next." Yami's face became stern.

"All right. Dark Magician, prepare the duel monsters. We will meet them before they get to the castle and fight this one out into the Realm. Ready the forces!"

Dark Magician bowed. "Yes, my pharaoh."

"It is time to take down this army once and for all."

"Um, Lady Katilli, there is something else you will be interested in knowing," Dark Magician Girl said. "The army comes from the Castle of Evil."

"So Akujin did send them to attack the Shadow Castles. But why Sakura's and Moon Shadow's?" Yami asked.

"That is something we will have to ask him when we meet. Which I intend to do very soon. Yami, I think that I will send Dark Magician Girl to round up my monsters, too. Together we will be more than a match for that army. Then we can pay a surprise visit to the Castle of Evil." Yami nodded.

(AN: Yeah, I could end it here, but I guess I'll go on since it has been a while between updates. :-) )

…Meanwhile…

Joy and Seto sat in Seto's limo as it drove towards a restaurant. The trip was littered with conversation here and there. Finally Seto decided to open up a new conversation. "So, I am just digging with curiosity, Houyoku. What do you thing is going to happen with Akujin? I mean, he can't get to the Path of Light unless he either takes out the three keepers or completes the requirements. And we don't even know who the last keeper is."

"I know. It is a puzzle. But I'm sure we can keep him from completing his goal. Something tells me the Path of Light is only a cover for a more amazing treasure. He doesn't really want to get to the Path of Light – he wants to get BEYOND it."

_Joy, we have a bit of a situation in the Shadow Realm._ Katilli's voice broke into Joys' mind.

_What kind of trouble? _Joy asked.

_A war is brewing in the Shadow Realm. Tell Kaiba to get Sorcerer up here right now. We need his dragons._

"Katilli just spoke with me and told me she wants Sorcerer to go to the Shadow Realm. There seems to be a battle about to take place there and she needs the Blue-Eyes White Dragons."

_I heard everything. I am going right now. I will keep you posted, Kaiba._

_Right._ "He's going." There was a slight pause. "I think things are getting even more interesting in the Shadow Realm," he added. "A battle…"

"Yeah. Katilli said a war was brewing. It's got to have something to do with Akujin. I know the darks can take care of themselves, but I would give my deck if I could be out there watching." Kaiba agreed. A moment later the limo pulled up to the restaurant and the two of them got out.

* * *

Joy: There you go! The plot gets better! The next chapter is called: The Shadow War. Nice, eh? Well, I'll see you next time and remember to review cuz I love hearing from every single one of you! 


	14. The Shadow War

Joy: Here comes chapter fourteen for you all! Just a response or two before I begin.

I am glad you liked the name Silver Moon Phoenix, cuz I had several lined up. I just picked that one cuz I thought...Moon...Shadow...Night...and there you go!

And Midnights mentioned the first paragraph was repeated and I went back and looked...and it was...damn computer!!! (sigh) Sorry about that. I will go back and fix it someday. You were the only one who mentioned it though... heh.

And BabyGatomon, I sent you an email, but I don't know if you can get online to look. Let me know.

Now, on with the chapter!

**The Shadow War**

_You have to let us go to the Shadow Realm! It's not fair that you all have to face this army and we don't!_

_Aibou...__ We are in the midst of a major battle, perhaps even a war with duel monsters. You could be hurt and I could not bare if that happened._

_What if I told you I didn't care about that risk! You are in as much danger as I am, dead or not!_ There was a pause. _Okay, how about this as a deal: We lights will stay at a __Shadow__Castle__. That way we will be off the battlefield and out of harm's way._

_I do not know..._

_Aww...__come on, Katilli! Please?_

Katilli sighed. _Very well, but Ra help you if you go and get yourself and the others injured. I will have you taken to Yami and Yugi's castle. It is not as close to the battlefield since the enemy monsters did not get very close to it. But you are to stay at the __Castle__ of __Ancients__, no matter what. Agreed?_

_Absolutely! _

"ATTACK!" Yami yelled to his Dark Magician, who promptly fired a blast of Dark Magic at a nearby Winged Dragon. The battle thus far was pretty evenly played, though Slifer had stated he felt that the enemy had an Exodia that might show itself at any time. But Joy had one at her own castle, so Katilli sent a monster to go fetch it.

"If that Exodia of yours does show up, this might be a swift victory," Sorcerer said. The three darks had taken to the air on their dragons (Katilli on Red-Eyes, Sorcerer on Blue-Eyes, and Yami on Slifer) and were right in the thick of battle. They had earlier spotted Akujin himself on the battlefield, but then had become too occupied in the battle to keep track of him.

Katilli flew over to Yami. "Brother, do you notice something missing?" she asked.

Yami looked around the battle grounds. Duel monsters from both sides were everywhere, littering the area with blasts and filling the air with roars. Nothing seemed to be missing, but then Yami's eyes widened with the realization of his sister's question. "Akujin! He's not here!"

"He was here earlier!" Sorcerer said over the roar of his dragon.

"He fled! The coward!" Yami said angrily. "I am going after him with the Dark Magician and Slifer! He must have gone back to the Castle of Evil."

"All right, but be careful, Yami." Yami nodded in agreement. The Dark Magician joined him on the back of Slifer and they took off after Akujin.

Joy sighed. _Great. I FINALLY convince the darks to let us come here, and now I am bored stiff!_ The darks had asked Reila to look after the lights during the battle. Joy was in the tower, looking out into the sea of darkness. In the horizon she could just spot the dots that resembled magical blasts. It was too far to warrant concern, of course, but Joy was not concerned for herself, but for Katilli. _I know she's okay, but that doesn?t make the worry go away any sooner._

"Not bored are you?" Joy heard Reila say from nearby. She then heard her footsteps as she came up the tower steps.

"Only a lot," Joy admitted. Reila laughed.

"As much as this might seem an odd thing to say, I want to be out there, too. But you must know, as I do, that we each have our own individual responsibilities."

Joy turned to face her with a curious look. "And what is your responsibility, Reila?" she asked suddenly.

"I have many, but my top priority is the safety of Kira and you other lights."

"But you have others. Like you want to open up the Path of Light.?"

"It is not a want, Joy. It is a need."

There was a thought filled pause. "But how can that be done without fulfilling the requirements? That is why you hung around Akujin. Or do you mean totake a differentroute as he does?"

"I am rather offended that you think me that cold, Houyoku. To harm an innocent is something I can never and will never do." Reila gave Joy a look of mixed hurt and anger. Joy gave her a reassuring smile.

"I did not think you a murderer, Reila, but how will you open the Path of Light? Are you going to try to marry Yugi or something?" At this Reila burst out laughing, and after a moment Joy grinned, then giggled a bit.

"That is amusing, but no," Reila said. "As much as I admire Yugi, I do not think such a union would be a good idea."

"So why change sides? Akujin was very close to victory and you would have met your own goals, so..."

"I decided to join a more advantageous side, and I do not regret that decision. Besides, Akujin is not the only one who found a loophole in the rulebook."

"With so many ways to get to this place, it's a surprise it hasn't been opened before," Joy commented.

"Many millennia ago it was."

"During Katilli and Yami's time?" Joy asked, genuinely curious. She knew next to nothing about the Path of Light, and it seemed Reila held a lot of answers to her questions.

"No...it was much further back than that."

...Meanwhile...

The enemy's Exodia had arrived, and the tide of battle was swiftly turning against the darks. Many duel monsters had already been terribly injured by the beast, and not even a God could stand up to its powerful blast. The entire hope of victory now rested with Joy's Exodia, who had yet to arrive.

"That Exodia is going to annihilate us if your Exodia does not show up soon!" Sorcerer exclaimed.

"It will be here soon." Then she spotted it in the distance. "There!"

Sorcerer sighed in relief. "About time. Now we can give that beast a taste of its own medicine!"

The two unstoppable beasts met on the field, glaring at each other for a moment. Then Joy's monster turned to Katilli. "You expect me to fight this worthless look-a-like? It is an insult that a duel monster who is obviously so inferior to me would even show it's face on the battlefield!"

Katilli rolled her eyes while Sorcerer hid a smile. "Just fight, Exodia. You can feel insulted later!"

Joy: There you go! I am thinking about calling the next chapter...A BIG Victory! Until then, review and see you next time!


	15. A BIG Victory

Joy: Sorry about the delay. Thanksgiving holiday stuff then I got a bit of a bug and couldn't type. (No, not from the food, from the weather.) Hope everyone had a good holiday and is ready for my next chapter! Glad everyone liked Exodia's attitude. I thought that was a nice touch.

* * *

**A BIG Victory**

As the two enormous duel monsters lunged into each other, Slifer the Sky Dragon and his cargo arrived at the Castle of Evil. "We're here, pharaoh."

"Thank you, Slifer." Yami and Dark Magician got down from the dragon's back and into an open window.

"Yes, good to know you are useful for at least the equivalent for an airplane," Dark Magician added. Slifer growled at the magician while Yami gave his favorite monster a look. "Sorry, my lord. I just could not help myself."

"Never mind. Slifer, wait here. I will call if I need you." With that the two started down the surprisingly empty hallway. "It is strange…so quiet."

"You must remember, pharaoh, that all the duel monsters of this castle are involved in the battle at this moment." Yami nodded in agreement. They were still cautious as they made their way along the hallways of the castle, opening every door and looking through every passageway. As he opened one door, Yami spotted something glinting in the darkened room. He went inside, making his way up to the object silently and cautiously. When he was within a few yards of it, he saw what he thought was some sort of shield.

_Interesting._ Yami called the Dark Magician over. "I need a bit of light, my friend. I think I have found something important and there may be traps." The purple-clad magician nodded and used his staff to bring light to the entire room. There, on a gray pedestal, was indeed a golden shield. It was adorned with elegant and intricate carvings on it. There was also ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics around the front edge. Yami was just starting to read them when there was a sound from the hallway.

"My lord, we must go now!" Dark Magician rushed out with Yami right behind him, holding the shield tightly in his arms. They rand around the corner, narrowly escaping a blast from an enemy monster.

"Quick! Dark Magician, put up some sort of fog to give us cover!" The magician cast the spell quickly and bought them the precious time they needed to get back to the window where Slifer was waiting.

"Slifer, get us out of here!" Yami ordered as he and the Dark Magician jumped onto his back. Slifer let out a mighty roar and they were off. They had just cleared the castle when they were met with Sorcerer and Katilli.

"Yami, are you all right?" Katilli asked.

"Did you find Akujin?" Sorcerer asked.

"I am fine, but we did not find the villain. He was not at the castle as I had believed. He must have fled elsewhere. But what of the battle?"

"Akujin's Exodia went up against Joy's…" Katilli began. Just then there was another roar, and Slifer's eyes narrowed and he let out a growl of his own.

"Well, well…the little god Slifer the Sky Dragon. Humph. I certainly hope that you were not running away from a fight," Exodia said as he stomped over to the group. Katilli sighed, knowing that an argument was eminent between the two colossal monsters.

"I would not talk so arrogantly if I were you. At least there is only one of me. There seems to be little versions of Exodia everywhere. Too made I have never met the real thing," Slifer countered, yawning slightly with his second mouth and sneering with his first.

"Take that back, you pitiful little being!" Exodia raged.

"But it is true, I mean, come on, Exodia. How many of you are floating around the Shadow Realm right now? It is sickening really. You do not see little versions of me floating around, now do you? I at least attempt to keep my dignity by keeping look-a-likes out of the Realm."

"That is enough, you two," Katilli ordered, trying to regain control of the conversation.

"What is that in your hand, pharaoh?" Sorcerer asked motioning to the shield Yami held.

"I believe it is one of the Items of Legend. I found it in the Castle of Evil. But we will have to ask Reila to confirm it. She is the one who knows more about these items than I."

"All right," Katilli agreed, and then turned to Exodia. "Exodia, return with the others to the Castle of Rebirth. We will call if we have need of you."

"Which will not be for a VERY long time," Slifer added with smirk.

"Slifer, just take me to the Castle of Ancients and stop teasing Exodia."

"Yes, my pharaoh."

**_…Meanwhile…_**

"So this king tried to get through the path?" Joy asked. Reila nodded.

"But he did not have the blessings of the Gods, so he was banished."

"The 'blessings of the Gods'?"

"Yes. It is written that when one has the blessings of the Gods, then the path will open to one of the keepers of light," Reila explained.

"So only one keeper can pass through the Path of Light?" Joy asked.

"I believe so, but the keeper is able to take one with them that is close to their heart."

"Like a husband…which is why that is a requirement to get in if you aren't a keeper, right?" Joy asked. Reila nodded. "So how about you? Are you a keeper?"

"I am not."

"Then how would you get in? Did you plan to sneak in?"

"I planned on some sort of stealth to get in, I suppose," Reila answered.

"So how would our deaths get the Path opened?"

"I am not sure how that works, Joy. Akujin found that loophole, not I."

"Hmm…" Just then they heard a roar and looked up to see the three darks returning. "All right! They're back!" Joy rushed over and hugged Katilli as she got off the Red-Eyes.

"A warm reception, I see. How are you, hikari?"

"I'm fine! I'm going to go get the others. I'll be right back!" Joy rushed off into the main castle.

"Pharaoh, that shield you are holding…" Reila began, her eyes locking onto the golden object.

"Yes, I found it in the Castle of Evil. I believe it to be –"

"It is the Shield of Chii! One of the Items of Legend!"

…A Few Moments Later…

"It's so beautiful," Joy said. "I wonder which keeper it belongs to…I mean, we know Yugi's supposed to have the sword because of how he helped me, but what about the staff? And what does it do?"

"It is the most powerful shield of all, supposedly. It is supposed to shield from any attack, even from the most powerful weapon," Reila explained.

"Can I hold it?" Joy asked.

"All right, but be careful, Joy," Yami advised as he handed the shield to Joy.

The moment the object was in her hands, both the shield was Joy glowed. Everyone gasped. Just as suddenly as the glow began, it dimmed and vanished. Joy blinked several times, looking quite bewildered.

"Joy, are you all right?" Seto asked. He reached for her, but pulled back when his hand met with an invisible barrier. "What the hell?"

Reila, however, was not as surprised. "The Shield of Chii has been returned to its rightful owner – Joy Houyoku."

"What?" Joy asked.

"As you know, each item has an owner that is destined to use it. You are the destined owner of the Shield of Legend, Joy. The item will now obey your will and most importantly, protect you from all harm. In essence, Joy, you are invincible as long as the shield is in your possession."

"Nothing can hurt me?" Joy asked, still a bit surprised.

"Not even the Gods can harm you."

A slow smile appeared on Joy's face. "Let's test that!"

"I don't know if that is such a good idea, Joy…" Yugi said.

Joy turned to Slifer. "Hey, Slifer!" she yelled up to the God. "Hit me with a blast!"

"Nani!? I don't think so, Houyoku!" Seto cried.

"Relax. If Reila's right, Slifer's blast won't hurt me." Joy turned to Reila. "Right?"

"You are the owner of the item, so Slifer shouldn't be able to hurt you."

"Still…" Seto began.

"Oh, jeez, Seto, relax and let me test this thing. Stop being so damn protective and let me do this."

"I'm just trying to –"

"All right, you two. Go ahead, Joy. Just be careful."

Slifer looked to his masters. "Go ahead, Slifer. Just one blast, though," Yami said. Slifer nodded and reeled back, gathering his fiery blast in his mouth…

* * *

Joy: THE EVIL CLIFFHANGER!!! MUAHAHAHA!!! Ahem… anywho, the next chapter is called…A New Spell for Joy. Till next time, review! 


	16. A New Spell for Joy

Joy: Here I am again with another chapter! Chapter 16! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! Glad everyone liked that chapter, and I hope you like this one, too. I kind of got a writer's block halfway through it cuz I thought it sounded a bit stupid but I think it turned out better after some changes. Okay, here it comes!

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**A New Spell for Joy**

Slifer opened his second mouth and sent out a fiery blast right at Joy.

Time seemed to slow down as the blast came at her. Suddenly the Shield of Chi glowed brilliantly. Joy was remarkably calm at this. Like she was expecting it. She crossed her arms across her chest and closed her eyes. Her body glowed as it rose into the air about ten feet. Swirls of light surrounded her.

The blast from Slifer never got a chance to touch her before it reached the light. Not only was the blast stopped, but it was reflected right back at Slifer! The mighty God barely dodged in time.

Everyone was shocked by the display. No one knew quite what to say. Joy slowly floated back to the ground and opened her eyes, blinking several times. "Joy, are you okay? That was amazing!" Yugi asked excitedly. She seemed a little unsteady on her feet. Seto went over to her and this time he was able to touch her. He offered his hand and she took it until she was steady again.

"I'm…I'm okay," she assured the others. While the lights crowded around Joy, the darks held a brief conversation of their own.

"The shield is only one of the three needed," Reila said.

"One down and two to go, as our lights would say," Sorcerer added with a slight smile. For several moments the two groups were in conversation, but then Joy made to address everyone.

"Um…okay everyone. I've got a big day tomorrow with the press conference and all, so I think I need to get back to the mortal realm. All right, Katilli?" Joy asked her dark.

Katilli raised an eyebrow. It was still quite early for bed, so why the sudden urgency? "All right, hikari. I will take us back." The two girls said their goodbyes and in moments were back in Joy's hotel room. "Now tell me the truth, Joy. Why did you really want to come back?"

Joy sighed. "It's impossible to hide anything from you, isn't it?"

Katilli smiled. "I am the other half of your soul, Joy. I feel your emotions, too, and I can tell something is bothering you."

Joy gave Katilli a smile and started to change into bedclothes. "I am a bit bothered by something, but it is out of my hands, really. I'm worried about Akujin. He's going to come back for this shield you know." She sat the object in question by her bedside. "And this thing is going to make quite an impression tomorrow. I can't just carry it around all day, now can I?"

"I have already thought of that. Take hold of the staff." Joy picked it up and held it in her hands. "Now, in your mind, imagine the staff to be an object that can be easily carried, like a piece of jewelry or some such."

Joy imagined the shield in her hands to be a bracelet, which was the first thing that came to her mind. When she did that, she felt the staff shrink. She opened her eyes and looked down to see a bracelet of gold around her right wrist. "Cool! Now I can take it anywhere! Thanks, Katilli! But how did you know?"

"Reila told us the objects do the bidding of their owners, thus the staff will transform into anything you wish it to, my light. Now, about Akujin, I think I have another method for how you can defend yourself against him should he show up. I am going to teach you a spell, Joy. I think I shall start with a simple energy ball. And I have just the target, if you don't mind using this." She held out her hand and pointed her staff into it and conjured up a basketball. "Now," she said, putting the ball down on the ground, "all you have to do is concentrate and conjure up a ball of energy in your hand. Observe."

She held out her right hand and a second later there was a ball of white hovering just a few inches above her open palm. Joy held out her hand in the same way and looked right at it, concentrating on making her own energy ball. She narrowed her eyes for emphasis and a few moments later, a small white ball appeared, about five inches in diameter.

"A little small, isn't it?" Joy asked. "Yours is bigger."

"You got it on the first try, Joy. That is what matters. Now we can work on making it bigger." The two worked on it for several hours and soon the girls had white energy balls of the same size. Then came target practice with the basketball. Joy only hit it once out of ten tries. After the room was fixed by Katilli's magic, the dark decided to try again tomorrow night. "You did very well. You are a fast learner, my light. Now let us get some sleep. You do have a busy day tomorrow."

…That next morning…

Yugi had to mind the shop while his grandfather ran a few errands, and Ryou and Kira decided to hang out at the Game Shop as well. They agreed to watch Steven Houyoku's press conference, which was scheduled at eleven o'clock. Till then they just helped Yugi out around the shop, stocking and selling cards and talking.

"So, Kira, have you any idea where the Path of Light leads?" Ryou asked.

"Well," Kira began, looking away with a slightly sad look. "I, um, I have never been on the other side of it, but according to legend, it leads to another land, a beautiful place where there is every pleasant thing imaginable. And…and when one enters this place, they are granted one wish of anything they desire."

"No wonder Akujin wants to cross it so bad. And now I know why only one can enter, and so few can open the Path of Light," Yugi said. Kira nodded in agreement. Just then Yugi's grandfather came through the door. "Grandpa! You're back!"

"Yes, it didn't take me too long. I thank you for looking after things for me."

"Any time, grandpa." Yugi and his two friends went up to his room. "We still have a few minutes before the press conference. Want to watch a movie?" The others agreed and they settled down in front of Yugi's TV.

…At one o'clock…

Joy had been to one of her father's press conferences before, so she knew how one operated. She introduced her father to the press, then took a seat behind him on one of the chairs.

"Arigatou, my dear. Now, as all of you may be aware, Houyoku Industries is looking to expand to open a building here in Japan. That would mean jobs and the manufacturing of many different types of products for the Japanese. I have seeking an able-minded business person to help move things along, someone who will make sure things get done and can make decisions, but isn't afraid to get their hands wet, so to speak. I was looking to local businesses people for support, and though they have come through for me, I am aware that they have their own businesses and should not be expected to do more than that. So I have made my decision on what to do."

There was a brief murmur in the crowd of reporters. Joy was taken back at her father's words. _This is unexpected._

_Indeed_, Katilli agreed. _He never told you all this._

"I know this is a bit of a surprise, but to me the decision was simple. I put a bit of thought into it and the details are all worked out. The only thing left to do is for this chosen person to accept the position. The person will have the full backing of Houyoku Industries and live here in Japan to run the branch here with as many employees as she cares to hire."

_She?_ Joy blinked. _She? Wait a minute…does he mean what I think he means?_

"The person that will be running the Japanese branch of Houyoku Industries is my daughter, Joy Houyoku."

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Joy: There you go! The next chapter is not very action packed, but it deals with the group's thoughts – Joy's response to her father's offer to run the Japanese branch of the company (mind you it is only one building in Japan, not the WHOLE company) and the others thoughts on who the last light might be and how they are going to get the last items from Akujin. I call it – Conversations. It might be POV if you guys want…I might make it POV anyway, but just wanted to know what you thought. ;-) Till then, review and c-ya!


	17. Conversations

Joy: Okay, everyone. Big Chapter for you. Hope you like it. I have split this one up into different POVs, but I will tell you whose it is and all that. This is also present tense, so be ready for that, too. Just a couple of quick responses and questions…

To DMoS13: Not bad, Torru…I should have thought of that one…hmmm…. To Midnights: (drools over giant Seto poster) I know what you mean… To BabyGatomon: I got third shift!! I'll let you know more later on! Have you got internet back or still using school comp? I got the 21 and 22 off work, btw, and of course, Christmas. I think Ihave Christmas Eve off,too.To KDA1: How am I doing with you OCs? Hey, can Kira use any magic and stuff? Might come in handy later. To Silver Moon Phoenix: Hey, does Moon Shadow have any energy balls or somethign like that? Just curious for future chapters.

Ok, gotta get started on this chapter. :o) Here it comes!

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**Conversations**

**_Joy's POV_**

I can't believe it…me…in charge of a building full of people… It's all I can do to keep from dying from shock.

"Joy?" My head snaps up. Dad. He gives me a small smile. "Do you want to say a few words in response?"

Sure, why not? Of course, that means he wants an answer of whether or not I am gonna take him up on his offer to run a part of the company from Japan. Do I want to? I mean, look at all the work and responsibility! Then again, Kaiba runs a whole company…daddy only wants me to run a piece of it. And there's the point of being able to live in Japan…and being able to prove to daddy and everyone that I am capable of taking on such a duty with integrity and maturity.

I stand up and go over to the microphone on the podium. I take a deep breath as I look around at all the people, their eyes digging right into my soul, analyzing every aspect of my actions.

"I would like to say that this is as big of shock to me as I am sure it is to many other people. But I intend to take on this job and prove myself. I understand the responsibility and risk, but risk is an everyday obstacle, so I must take on those risks. Thank you."

The staring eyes have become too much for me to bear so I walk off the small stage and out the door, taking a seat on a bench across the hall, taking another deep breath.

_You are really going through with this, hikari?_ Katilli asks me.

_Yes, Katilli. It is a big opportunity for me, and I am going to take it while I can. Think about it! This is dad's way of testing my worth, and I am not intending to let him down._

_All right, aibou. I just want you to be careful. Don't overwork yourself._

_Hell, if Kaiba can run a whole company, I can run a piece of one._

_Kaiba has had to learn quickly and he works very hard, Joy,_ Katilli countered.

I sigh. What the hell is the problem? She is always wanting me to be cautious and yet she expects me to succeed in life. How can I do that unless I take the bull by the horns? I can't hide from risks all my damn life! I know he works hard, damn it! And so can I! _Katilli, are you saying I don't work very hard? _Katilli pauses and I can feel her apprehension at answering my question. _Don't freeze up now, Katilli. You're on a roll._

Now she is in a bit of shock…now she is a bit upset. _Joy, if you want my honest opinion, then I shall give it to you. Every since we have arrived here in __Japan__, you have been neglecting work. Your purpose in coming here was to help your father with his work. I think the reason he chose you was so he could see where your priorities really lied – responsibilities or recreation._

I blink, completely taken back by her words. Did dad really think of me as shying away from work? Did he think of me as a goof off? What if Katilli was right? I think she might be…dad never says anything on the subject, but he has been trying to get me as organized and focused as possible since we came here…he even has me back at the hotel at a special time every night…maybe he and Katilli are right…maybe I am a screw up at my job. But no more. I intend to do at least this right. If my father thinks that way, he is about to be seriously surprised!

**_Seto's POV_**

_So, Houyoku-san gave it to Joy._ I sat at my desk after watching the televised press conference.

_Think she can do it?_ Sorcerer asks me.

_She has integrity and good leadership skills. She should do well if she puts her heart into it._

_Just think, Kaiba – you and Joy will have yet one more thing in common._

I stand up and start pacing. _Yeah. I can't help but worry though…_

_About…?_

_Akujin…it was strange that Yami didn't find him at that castle. If he didn't go there, where the hell did he go? I know he's going to show his ass sooner or later, and when he does, I want to be ready._

_How about the last two items of legend?_

_We'll just have to get them to their rightful owners…and find the last keeper of light before Akujin does, otherwise we lose._

**_Joy's POV _**

"Joy?" Dad is standing in front of me. Cool. I can tell him what my game plan is. For the last ten minutes, I have been thinking about exactly how to do this. I came up with some good ideas, too. I can't wait to put them into action.

Katilli's cut the link…just a few minutes ago. I've been so busy thinking that I haven't tried to talk to her in her soul room yet. It'll have to wait till later on tonight. I have work to do right now.

"Yeah, daddy?" I ask.

He sits down next to me. "Listen, princess. I don't want you to think that I am hoisting this on you without giving you any help. I intend to stay here until the branch is on its feet completely before returning home. Now, all the arrangements have been made regarding room and board. There is a beautiful house ready for you to move in immediately. Completely furnished of course. I am proud of you for stepping up to the plate on this. Quite frankly, I wanted to keep the business in the family, but thought that maybe you would think I was overwhelming you, so I looked for another person. I want to tell you, though, that I do not regret choosing you."

I look at my dad straight in the eyes, seeking out his true feelings. There is a bit of apprehension and concern. I feel my heart sinking in to the bowls of my body. I guess Katilli was right after all. He's worried that I can't do it. Hurt by that thought, I almost feel like bursting into tears. But then I feel determination rise in me.

"You won't be disappointed in me this time, dad. I can do this. In fact, while I sitting here, I already thought up an agenda of things to do. I should be able to execute them quite well. Have no fear. I'll make you proud." With that I stand up and head out of the building, leaving my father to follow at his leisure.

**_Steven's POV_**

I blink. What just happened? I mean, one moment I am talking to my seventeen-year-old daughter about how I was proud of her, then she becomes a totally different person! I was a bit concerned that she would be angry at me for not telling her sooner about my choice, but never did I think that she would act so out of character.

And what did she mean by not disappointing me this time? Never has my daughter disappointed me. A lot of things have happened to her the last few weeks…perhaps she is overwhelmed? Maybe I should keep on eye on her, just until things quiet down a bit.

**_Yugi's POV_**

"Wow! Joy is probably fighting off butterflies in her stomach right now," Ryou says as Kira shuts off the TV.

"Yeah," I say. "What a shock this must have been. To be honest, I don't think she knew it was coming at all."

"I…I think she looked a bit pale. Do…do you think she'll be all right?" Kira asks timidly with concern.

"I think so. She'll need some time to adjust to the work load, but she'll be fine. Joy is great at taking charge and thinking ahead. I mean, if Kaiba can do it, so can she," I respond.

"You have a point," Kira admits with a slight smile, which I return.

"Now we need to focus on getting a jump on Akujin, getting the other items, and finding the last keeper of light," Ryou says. I nod in agreement.

Bakura, Yami and Reila appear in spirit form. "I believe there may be a way we can use the shield to find the other keeper. It might also be a means of getting the other items – The Sword of Kai and the Dagger of Shou. The sword is meant for Yugi, and the dagger for the third keeper," Reila explains.

"I think we should go after the items first, then the keeper. The item will react when the person touches it, ne?" Yami asks. Reila nods. "Okay, then we will ask Moon Shadow and the twins if they will lend us their duel monsters for a combined attack on the Castle of Evil. If we all strike as one, then we should have little problem getting inside. Bakura will then be able to snatch the items. Are we in agreement?"

Everyone nods. "What about us lights?" Kira asks.

"You will need to be at one of the castles. The pharaoh can have one of the Gods protect you at his castle if that is all right," Reila says, turning to Yami.

"That is a wise idea. The Winged Dragon of Ra should be a good choice for the task. Yugi, you contact Joy and Kaibaby telephone and tell her and Katilli to meet us at the Castle of Ancients. We have work to do."

**_Joy's POV_**

It is late evening and I am just finishing up some work on my computer when my cell phone rings. I look around, and not seeing it immediately, I go back to my work. But the blasted person is letting the phone ring and ring. Dad comes in.

"Joy, are you still working? Honey, take some time off from staring at that thing."

Okay…now I am getting confusing mixed signals. I mean, I thought I was doing what I was SUPPOSED to do! I sigh. I need to find out what he really thinks before I am driven to complete insanity…and will that person just hang up and call later!! ARGH!!

Katilli suddenly appears, nearly scaring both me and my father half to death. She goes and answers the phone. Good. Now I can talk to dad. "Dad, I need to know something, and I want your honest answer, okay?"

"Of course. What is it, Joy?"

"I need to know how you feel about me. Am I a slacker? I mean…every since we came here, I have been spending a lot of time with my friends and…" I trail off. I am so afraid of what he might say.

**_Steven's POV_**

I pull up a chair next to Joy and sit down. "Joy, I am going to answer you honestly. I think you are very responsible and mature." She looks rather shocked by my statement. "You completed every single task I have laid out for you, and ahead of schedule, too. You are thorough and precise and not one to procrastinate when a project is presented to you. The last few weeks have been so hectic that I was concerned you were a bit overwhelmed." I pause as something comes to mind. "Is that why you were acting so strangely lately? You thought I was disappointed?"

Joy nods sheepishly. "Well…yes, actually. But what about all that time with my friends?"

"As you recall, all that was my idea, dear. I gave you time off from work for that. Listen, Joy. I would not have picked you if I did not believe you were the right person for the job. Understand?" She smiles brightly and gives me a hug.

**_Joy's POV_**

Katilli gets off the phone and gives me a serious look. "Joy, that was Yugi. He and Yami need us to meet them. I can take us there."

_Oh, so it's okay to slack off when it involves Yami, then?_ I ask her through the link. I get a guilty feeling from her.

_Joy, I will talk to you about that on the way._

_Fine, but don't come snapping at me cuz I am SO fucking sick of it._ "Dad, can I go? I'll try to be back as soon as I can."

Dad smiles. "Joy, I want you to take as long as you need. Tell me all about it when you get home, though, okay?" I nod eagerly, then stand up and go over to stand besides Katilli. Soon we are whisked away by teleportation.

In an instant we are standing at the Castle of Ancients. The others are there…even Kaiba.

_Joy? I want to apologize for being so harsh with you. I said things I regret and I had no real right in saying. I did not truly know your father's opinion and I should not have jumped to conclusions concerning his feelings. And I should not have snapped at you and saying all those things. I am proud of your accomplishments, and your father is right when he said the last few weeks have been a bit rushed. I know why you have not been constantly at your father's side and that you did complete all the work he gave you. I am sorry for my words._

I really have no reaction to her words. I mean, I can never stay mad at her, but right now I am not sure what to say. I guess I forgive her. She looks so pitiful looking down at her shoes and all. _All right. You're forgiven. Just relax about me and work, okay? I'll manage just fine after getting settled._ She nods happily and we turn to the others. It was then that I spot two very familiar and friendly faces.

"Moon Shadow! Sakura!" What are those two doing here?

"We are here to help in any way we can. Especially since our castles were attacked, too." Oops…forgot Moon Shadow can read minds. She smiles. "That is quite all right, Joy. I don't read them all the time.

"All right. Here is the game plan, everyone. The darks and the duel monsters are going to go after the last two items of legend. You lights are to stay here. Ra is going to protect you," Reila explains.

_If I knew I would just be waiting around I would have brought my laptop, Katilli._

_Sorry, Joy. We agreed that it would be best. After all, you can practice that energy ball. Who knows, maybe you can try making one of fire or water or some other element. And you can practice using that shield, too._

Hmm…this had promise.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Joy: Okay, that was a long chapter…longer than I thought it would be. Next chapter is gonna be good, I hope. It answers a BIG question in the story. Can anyone guess what? Well, the next chapter is called – Don't Mess With Ryou! Till then, review!


	18. Don't Mess With Ryou!

Joy: This one is up a lot quicker! YEAH! And I won't make Joy a computer geek or anything. Though she will be having to do computer work for her job a lot. Okay, here comes the next chapter!

* * *

**Don't Mess With Ryou!**

Ryou and Yugi spent a good part of an hour watching their friends train. Moon Shadow would blow gusts of wind at Joy to distract her from Sakura's ice blast. Joy was doing a pretty good job at countering the maneuvers and following through with her own blasts. So far the three seemed evenly matched.

"Hey, Yugi…where's Kira?" Ryou asked.

"She's in a guest room at the top of that tower," Yugi answered, pointing to the nearest tower. "She's taking a nap. Nice job, Joy!" he added to his friend.

"I hope the darks are successful. Otherwise – " Ryou got cut off when Joy gasped. They looked up to see that the shield, which was strapped to Joy's left arm was glowing brightly.

"Why is it doing that?" Sakura asked as she and Moon Shadow came closer. Ryou and Yugi also came over.

"Um…I don't know. It might be trying to tell me something." Joy closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them. "There is someone coming, but I don't know who."

Everyone looked around to see if they could spot someone. "Well, Ra is by the gates, so if it is a foe, the god should be able to take care of it," Moon Shadow said.

"Just in case, we should stick together and be prepared," Sakura advised.

"I'll go get Kira," Ryou offered, rushing off towards the tower Kira was in. He hurried up the stairs and stopped right in front of the door. He knocked. "Kira?" he called. "Are you awake?"

Inside the room, Kira stirred a bit. She slowly opened her eyes, blinked several times and sat up. That's when a shadowy figure entered her room. When she saw the person, she let out a cry.

"Akujin!"

"That's right, traitorous girl. You shall pay dearly for what you have done." He took out a golden handled dagger. "Prepare to pay for your betrayal with you life!" Kira let out a scream as Akujin brought the dagger down toward her…

Suddenly Akujin cried out in surprise as someone jumped on his back. "Ryou!" Kira shouted.

"Aarggh! Foolish boy! Get off of me or die!"

"I don't think so!" Ryou snapped back, not removing his hold on Akujin. The fiend growled and thrashed around, trying to throw Ryou off, but the boy hung on tightly. Ryou kicked Akujin in the back of the leg, causing him to cry out in pain. The villain countered the move by throwing himself backwards into the nearest wall, the full force of the move going to Ryou.

"Itai!" Ryou cried, letting go and sliding to the ground against the wall.

While Akujin's attention was turned to Ryou, Kira took the opportunity to rush to the doorway and let out the loudest scream she could muster. Akujin heard it and turned his attention to the girl once more. The dagger was still in his possession as he approached her. Kira was frightened to the point of being unable to move. Her eyes were wide with fear and she was close to trembling. "Now you die girl!"

"No you don't!" Ryou leaped up and lunged for Akujin again, this time going for the dagger itself. _Now what would Bakura do?_ he asked himself. He came up with a quick answer. He pulled his fist up and punched Akujin right in the face. _ITAI! That hurt!_ But it worked. Akujin not only fell to the ground, but he dropped the dagger! Ryou stooped down and picked it up.

The instant the dagger was in Ryou's hand both he and the item glowed briefly. Ryou looked completely shocked by the event, but just as quickly as it happened, it ended. Akujin glared at him with a look of death. "You…you are the one," he said though gritted teeth.

In a surprise move, Akujin lunged at Ryou, knocking the boy down and causing the dagger to fly out of his hand and across the room. Kira rushed toward the item, but Akujin grabbed her ankle and pulled her to the ground. He got to his feet and ran toward the item, Ryou right behind him. But Akujin got to the dagger first and sneered at the two teens.

"Now I will take you down first, keeper, and be one step closer to the ultimate prize." He rushed forward, bringing the dagger down for a lethal blow. But then he stopped, a shocked look on his face. "What is this? I can't move my arm!"

Ryou and Kira blinked, then looked at each other and back at Akujin. _Why can't he strike the blow?_ Ryou asked himself as he and Kira watched Akujin struggling to bring down the weapon. At that instant, Joy and the others bursts into the room.

"Akujin!" Yugi cried. Akujin hissed at the teen, looking over at Yugi with malice. But that also distracted him enough for Ryou to rush forward and grab the dagger out of Akujin's hands and push him away. Akujin stumbled back and glared evilly at the boy.

"You may have won this time, but the Sword of Kai is MINE!" With that, Akujin vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Ryou, are you okay?" Sakura asked, quickly coming over to him.

"Absolutely!" Ryou answered with a grin. "Guess what, you guys! I'm a keeper, too!"

Everyone blinked. "You are the third keeper?" Joy asked. Ryou nodded and held out the dagger.

"That is the Dagger of Shou," Kira informed the group. "It reacted when Ryou touched it, just like the Shield of Chii did to Joy."

"We have to let the darks know about this. If they managed to retrieve the other item, then perhaps this will end in our favor quicker than expected," Joy said, a big smile on her face.

About a half an hour later, the darks returned, but they did not have the sword with them. "What happened?" Moon Shadow asked.

"The damn items were not there!" Bakura exclaimed, looking rather put out.

"And neither was Akujin," Katilli added.

"We know. He was here, attacking Ryou and Kira," Yugi supplied.

"WHAT!" all the darks yelled at once. The groups told their dark sides what happened, including the retrieval of the next item and the discovery that Ryou was the last keeper.

"So, we had all three keepers of light together the whole time," Reila mused.

"I guess so," Ryou said. He held out the dagger. "Akujin could not use the dagger to hurt me…why?"

"That is the nature of the items," Reila explained. "They will not harm their rightful owners."

Joy took a closer look at the object in Ryou's hand. "Katilli…that's the same dagger we saw at the museum after the tournament in Tokyo last summer!" Katilli looked for herself and confirmed Joy's observation.

"I didn't hear about any theft at the museum," Yugi said.

"That is because it was replaced by one that looked just like it. A forgery," Reila told him.

"Well, not that this is bad or any such thing," Bakura began, "but what about the last item?"

"Since it was not at the castle, it must be somewhere else. Now it is just a matter of finding it. But Akujin is at a disadvantage now. He only has the Sword of Kai. He has no chance of getting to the Path of Light now."

"So he's between a rock and a hard place, right?" Sakura asked.

"Sort of like that. I suppose we can do no more here. Especially since we do not know where he has hidden the last item. I suggest we return to the mortal realm," Reila said.

Joy gave Sakura and Moon Shadow a quick hug. "Thanks for all your help, you two. It was well appreciated."

"Anytime!" Sakura said with a grin.

"All you need do is ask, my friend," Moon Shadow added with a smile of her own.

And so they all returned to their own realm.

* * *

Joy: That was okay, wasn't it? Anyway, I finally have myself on a schedule to get these chapters out REALLY fast! Updates will come faster now, and I guess I could go ahead and tell you that this story will be completed soon! I only have like seven chapters left or something like that. Let me know if you guys want another story in my series. I'll let you know as this story gets closer to the end if I will do a sequel or not, but you guys need to tell me if you would even want another one, cuz I could just end it with this story. 

Anyways… the next chapter will come soon, so stay tuned, folks! And don't forget to review!


	19. The Last Item

Joy: Okay, everyone, I'm back! Just as promised, chapters are coming along fast and easy! After this, there will be only six more chapters to go! That means this story's last chapter is 25! Everyone seems to want another story, so I will see what I can do. Now I know I kind of surprised a few people with the fact that Ryou was the last keeper instead of Kaiba, but I have my reasons. If anyone can guess them, that's okay. Anyway, on with the chapter!

* * *

**The Last Item**

"Oh my goodness! Look at this place!" Joy cried out as she and her father approached Joy's new home, which was an enormous mansion on an extensive plot of land. There was a circular driveway that went around a courtyard in front of the house. "It's as big as the estate and Kaiba Manor!"

Steven smiled. "Then am I correct in thinking you like it?" he asked.

Joy gave her father a hug. "Absolutely! But isn't it a bit big for one person?"

"Perhaps, but you have many friends I am sure will want to stay over once or twice. Besides, there are really two of you and I am sure Katilli will want a room of her own for whenever she feels like coming out for a bit."

_What do you think, Katilli? Our own mansion!_

Katilli laughed a bit. _It does sound nice, and it would be nice to have a room outside of my soul room to stay._

"Now there are a few things I want to clear up before you settle in." Joy followed her father as he went up to the front door. He handed her a set of keys. "Each key is marked as to what it unlocks. I also have a copy just in case. All expenses concerning the house will be taken care of by me. I will also be making sure there are some people hired to help keep the place up and running. Oh, and here."

He handed Joy a card holder wallet. "What's this?" she asked.

Steven smiled slightly. "It's a wallet, dear."

Joy gave him a pouted look. "I know that, dad."

"There are credit cards and bank cards in there, all in your name, of course. I want you to feel free to use them at your leisure to buy the things you need, such as food and clothing and any other articles. If you have any problems using them, let me know. The accounts on the cards are already open and ready for you."

Joy looked shocked and thankful. "Oh, daddy. How can I thank you?"

"No need at all, just keep the Japanese branch in healthy operating status. Do your job well and promise me something. Don't lose who you are under a mountain of paperwork. Remember to make room for you in your life. Promise?"

Joy smiled and nodded eagerly. "I promise!"

"Good. Now I am going to stay here until you have finished hiring an upper management staff and workers, that should take a few days or maybe a week. Then I will be heading back to Montana. I can arrange for anything you need to be shipped here or if you like you can come back with me and retrieve them yourself. It is your decision. Now as for work, I do intend for you to give me a semi-annual evaluation of your progress. Sales, accounts, all of that. If you need any help at any time, you let me know, Agreed?" Steven asked as he started to walk back to his car. Joy followed behind him.

"Of course." Steven got into his vehicle.

"Very good. Now, be happy, go explore your new home, and meet me at the office tomorrow morning. You remember where it is, right?" Joy nodded. "Oyasumi, honey."

"Oyasumi, otousan." Joy gave her dad another hug and a quick kiss on the cheek, then watched him back out of the driveway and out of sight. Then she went inside the huge house and took a look around.

As she walked in, she first came upon an enormous main hall with stairway on each side. The kitchen and dining room were on the left side, and there was a sitting room and living room on the right. Joy headed upstairs to a long hallway most of the rooms were bedrooms, but here was also a few others, like a study area complete with computers and desks, and a fully stocked library with comfortable furniture. Joy wondered through every room in an attempt to familiarize herself with her new home.

Afterwards, Joy settled on a chair by a phone and called Kaiba up on his cell phone.

"Kaiba."

"Hey, Kaiba. It's me."

"Houyoku?"

"Yep! I'm sitting in the middle of my new house and it is so cool! You gotta come down later on, okay? I'll give you the address."

Seto copied it down. "I'll be down tomorrow. I'm working late."

"Fine, just don't work yourself to death."

"Whatever. See you tomorrow." Seto got off the phone and sighed. _So much to do,_ he muttered to himself.

_You need a vacation,_ Sorcerer replied.

_Can't. To busy._ Just then there was a gust of wind that blew Seto's window open. "What the - ?"

"Kaiba, so good for us to meet again."

Kaiba quickly transformed the wristwatch he had on to Sorcerer Seto's staff, then readied himself. "Akujin."

_Want me to take over?_ Sorcerer asked quickly.

_No. I want this bastard myself._ A thick black mist seeped in through the open window, quickly taking the shape of a human figure.

"Glad you haven't forgotten my name. Now what would a powerful man such as yourself be doing all alone with absolutely no protection at all. You really think that staff can save you, foolish boy?" Akujin sneered.

"It'll do more than that, bastard." Seto aimed the staff and fired a blast right at Akujin, who countered by pulling out a familiar golden sword and deflecting the blow out the window.

Akujin sneered again. "This will ensure your death, Kaiba!"

"The Sword of Kai," Seto breathed.

_Kaiba, let me take over,_ Sorcerer insisted. Seto ignored him, coming up with another idea. He pulled himself into a stance.

"Come get some, asshole," he snarled at Akujin. Akujin let out a roar and lunged at Seto. Seto swung the staff in an upwards motion, hitting Akujin's hands. The sword flew straight up and out of Akujin's hand. Seto then punched the madman in the stomach and performed a spinning kick, connecting right with the man's face and sending him flying out the window. Akujin managed to vanish before hitting the ground.

Seto held his hand out and caught the sword as it fell toward the ground. "Humph. That's what you get for messing with me." He looked down at the sword. Looks like I'm getting Nicholas to finish that paperwork.

Joy was just starting to doze off when the front doorbell rang. Only half awake and being the only one in the house, she dragged herself downstairs to the front door, neglecting to grab a robe to cover her night gown. She opened the front door to find Seto Kaiba standing there.

"Kaiba!" she gasped, then she noticed what she was wearing. "Ack! Damn it, Kaiba! You could have called or something! And what the hell! It's fucking freezing outside. Get the hell in here!" She grabbed Kaiba, who was a bit flushed by Joy's appearance, and dragged him inside. "What's going on? What do you have behind your back?"

"Um…get dressed first, please."

Joy smirked at Kaiba's nervousness. "Aw…what's wrong? Am I that repulsive?" She pouted a bit.

Kaiba glared at her, then tried to think of something to say. "No…it's just that… Aw, damn it, Houyoku! Get some fucking clothes on! I have the last item behind my back and we have to get it to Moto before Akujin comes for it."

Joy blinked, then turned to the stairway. "I'll be right back."

* * *

Joy: All three items, everyone! That's right, count 'em – three! What will happen next, you may ask? Just check out the next chapter to find out! Oh, and btw – 'otousan' means 'father' in Japanese. And of course, for those who didn't know, 'oyasumi' means 'good night' Till next time, review! 


	20. The Path is Open

Joy: Hey, everyone! This one is a day late…wanted to update earlier, but had some work to do. Anyway. I'm glad for those who reviewed and commented. I am also glad everyone liked the ending of the last chapter. I kind of liked it, too. Now here is Chapter Twenty!

* * *

**The Path is Open**

Joy and Kaiba rode his limo to the Game Shop. It was very late at that point and Joy was a bit apprehensive. "I don't think anyone is going to answer the door this late at night, Kaiba. What are you going to do?"

"Bang on the door till someone answers," Kaiba answered simply with a small smirk.

Joy glared at him. "Kaiba!"

"Do you have a suggestion, then?" Kaiba countered.

Joy thought for a moment, then her face lit up with a small smile. "Actually, I do. Wait here with the sword and I'll be right back with Yugi." She said a few words and vanished into thin air using her teleportation spell. She reappeared in Yugi's room. The young duelist was fast asleep. _He looks so cute when he's asleep that I almost don't want to wake him up._

Just as Joy moved towards Yugi, the Millennium Puzzle that sat by his bedside began to glow. Yami appeared, looking very protective and superior. "What are you…?" He stopped when he spotted who it was that had intruded into the room. "Joy…what is it? Why have you sneaked in here so late?"

"Sorry, Yami, but we need to wake Yugi up and get downstairs so he can get his sword." It took Yami a moment to process what Joy had just said. He smiled.

"I suppose we could wake him for that."

Seto stood by the limo impatiently waiting for Joy and Yugi to show up. _Kaiba, _Sorcerer said suddenly, _I sense someone coming._ Seto stood straighter.

"Seto Kaiba?" Seto whirled around to see Ryou standing right behind him.

"What are you doing here?" Seto asked the boy.

Ryou held up his dagger. "It drew me here, though I don't know why."

"Kaiba, here we are!" Joy and Yugi came out of the Game Shop. "Ryou…you're here? Why? Not that I mind. We would have had to go get you anyway."

"Yeah…the dagger kind of led me here. I can somehow feel it's feelings and what it wants me to do. So, what's going on?"

"We have the last Item of Legend. Now we can open the Path of Light!" Joy explained excitedly.

"That's good, since there is so little time left." Everyone turned to see Reila.

"Reila…what are you talking about?" Yugi asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"The prophecy…there is something else about it that not even Akujin knows about. The Path of Light can only be opened during a total eclipse of the sun. Did you read the total prophecy yet? On the dagger it said that that a total eclipse of the sun would open the Path of Light."

"That's just great…when the hell does this eclipse occur?" Seto said irritably.

"Tomorrow. I have the exact time. When the eclipse occurs, you must all be together and have your items in your possession. Then you must chant the proper incantation to open the path."

"So we all just need to say this phrase thing?" Joy asked. Reila nodded. "I guess the only thing we need to decide now is who goes in." There was a pause. "Why don't you tell your grandfather that you're coming over to my house tonight, Yugi? That way we will be together already and just in case Akujin tries to do something until the eclipse occurs." Yugi nodded and went inside. About ten minutes later he came back out, his backpack on his shoulders.

"Here." Seto held out the Sword of Kai to Yugi. Like the others, as soon as Yugi touched it, both the boy and the object glowed briefly.

"I can feel it's power," Yugi breathed.

_Are you all right, aibou?_ Yami asked.

_Yeah…it just feels so different, but not in a bad way. It feels right, somehow. It feels like it was made just for me._

The group piled into Seto's limo and headed to Joy's house. After a bit of gawking and praising from Ryou and Yugi, the group settled down into their rooms for a good nights rest, at least what was left of the night.

Morning came quickly and the group ate some breakfast and congregated in the living room. "Now we have to decide who is going in," Reila said. "Remember, only one keeper can go in, but the person can take one other with them. The keeper can choose whomever they wish, but only one other. If more than two go in, I am not sure what will happen."

"Do dark sides count?" Joy asked.

"Yes. If you choose to go in with your other half, it is considered taking another person, since there are two souls entering the pathway. So…who will go?"

Everyone was silent. Kira looked over at her dark side. _Reila…aren't we going to tell them why we need to even get to the path?_ she asked.

_I am hoping to convince the keeper that goes to take you, hikari. Who do you think is the best for me to convince? Joy perhaps? Of the three, are you not the closest with her?_

_But Kaiba is even closer…if she is chosen, she may go with him instead of me. I will not force her to take me. I have a better idea. Trust me._

_Very well, hikari._

"I have a way we can do this." Joy got up and went upstairs to her room for a moment. When she came out, she had a hat in one hand and a pencil and paper in another. She tore the paper into three small pieces and wrote each keeper's name on a piece of paper. "We are going to draw for it. Whoever's name comes out of the hat is the keeper that is going. Agreed?"

Everyone nodded. Joy handed the hat to Yugi and had Ryou draw a name. He looked at it. "It looks like the lucky person is you, Joy."

"Really?" Joy took the paper and looked at it. "I guess I'm going."

"And who will you take?" Reila asked. "Remember that it cannot be Yugi or Ryou, and that if you do not choose Katilli, she must stay behind." Joy nodded in acknowledgement and was silent for a moment.

"I choose Kaiba," she said simply. "That is, if you want to go."

Seto gave her a look that said 'You are actually asking me that?' Joy smiled. "It's all settled, then. The eclipse will happen in just an hour, so we need to be outside. The Path will open to you when you three chant the incantation exactly like I say. Here it is:

**_We call upon the Path of Light  
_****_To led us to a wondrous sight.  
_****_Grand to one a wish of eternity  
_****_And bring us peace and unity._**

Once the words are spoken, and they must be said simultaneously, the Path will open. It will be like a white tunnel. Then Joy and Kaiba can enter. We will stay here and wait for you to return and make sure no one else goes in. Agreed?" Everyone nodded.

As everyone headed outside, Kira pulled Joy aside and whispered something in her ear. She blinked in astonishment, but nodded with a serious look on her face. When Seto asked what Kira said, Joy refused to answer, saying it was said in confidence and she would not repeat it right then.

When the group gathered in Joy's backyard, they saw that the eclipse was starting. "Now say the words," Reila urged them. The three lights held up their items and said the incantation exactly like Reila said. Then a huge gust of wind blew through the area, nearly knocking a few people off their feet in the process. The wind gathered to form a sort of tunnel like vortex in front of the keepers. "Go now, you two. You have one hour to find the Shine of Kokoro and make your wish. Only Joy can make the wish, though. Got it?"

Joy and Seto nodded and headed into the white tunnel that was the Path of Light.

* * *

Joy: There you have it! BTW: 'kokoro' means 'spirit'…I think it does. That's what my translator says at least. Anyhow, review and see you next time for chapter 21 – 'Traveling'


	21. Traveling

Joy: Sorry about the delay, everyone. I've been trying to get used to the change of schedules at work, so bear with me. A few of the reviewers' questions may be answered in this chapter, like whether Akujin is still a threat or not, though we won't know Joy's wish for a few more chapters. Till then, here it is! Chapter 21!

* * *

**Traveling**

"Wow." Joy's voice echoed in the white swirling vortex that was the Path of Light. They appeared to be in a place where gravity was either forbidden or abandoned altogether. Right now both of them were sort of hovering above the ground. Well, actually, there seemed to be no solid ground.

"Yeah, Reila was right about this place looking like a tunnel. Makes me wonder if she hasn't been here herself or at least seem it. Maybe in the past or something like that," Seto commented.

"I guess we just follow it to the end. We'll just have to pretend like we're swimming or something." Joy moved forward slightly and then gasped as she felt a pull at her body. It was like she was slowly flying forward. She was able to control where she went. She laughed a bit and reached out to Seto with her hand. "This is fun! Come on, Kaiba!" Seto moved forward and took her hand. Soon the duo was sailing through the air toward the other side of the tunnel.

…Meanwhile…

Katilli and Sorcerer were pacing in front of the Path of Light's entrance. They almost ran into each other at one point. Reila laughed. "Relax, you two. They are fine."

Katilli opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, the group was surprised by over a dozen men dressed in black! The sudden attack left them trying to get their bearings and fight back. Yami, Reila, and Bakura were quick to take control of their lights in order to protect them. Seto had left the staff with Sorcerer, and he was glad for it right then. The other magic users also got their staves.

However, unbeknownst to the party, while they were fighting, a very familiar and sinister person slipped past the battlefield and through to the Path of Light's entrance.

…Meanwhile…

Joy and Seto were soaring towards the exit of the path when Joy suddenly felt a strange presence that she at first could not describe. It was like she and Seto were being followed but when she looked back, there was no one. Then she narrowed her eyes as she pinpointed the cause.

_Akujin. That's the only person it could be. How did he get in here? Well, I hope we get to the end of this tunnel before he catches up with us._ There was something else that fueled her worry. _Katilli and the others better be okay._

The two teens reached the edge of the Path of Light a few moments later and were met with a blinding white light that made them avert their eyes. Joy's vision faded from white to black as they reached the end and the two flew through the opening and onto the ground, gravity finally returning to them all at once.

"Joy…Joy, wake up…Joy…Damn it, Houyoku! Open you eyes!" Joy's eyes snapped open to reveal Seto hovering over her.

"Geez, Kaiba. Relax. Don't pop a vein," Joy said sarcastically. "I'm awake."

"About fucking time. Let's go." He pulled her to her feet. "We have an hour to get to the place where we need to make the wish." Seto was never one to let any hindrance try and slow him down. He wanted to get a task completed and move on to the next one, and to him, getting to their next destination was a task that he desired to get done as quickly as possible.

"We need to hurry. Akujin followed us here somehow. I felt his presence in the Path of Light, which means he could be coming here any second."

"Just great. Let's get to the wishing place before he does, then." It was then that they took a look around.

The landscape was stunning. There was a plethora of vibrant colors cascading across the open field they were in. Perfect trees with real golden leaves encircled the area around them. The sky was a perfect shade of pale blue without even so much as a cloud tainting it. Joy was awestruck by it all as she and Seto made their way to the path through the woods.

"Wow. This is so beautiful. Look at those red birds, Kaiba! It looks like they're in love." Seto said nothing in response, though he did look at the birds.

The two continued along the path. Seto was basically following Joy, who seemed to know exactly in which direction they needed to go. _I just want to get this done,_ he thought. _If Akujin does show up here, I will take care of him myself. I will NOT allow him to lay another hand on Joy._

The wooded path gave way to a river. The water appeared to be docile and calm. "Okay. We need to cross this river and onto the other side. Then we follow the path all the way to another clearing. Something tells me that after we do that we will be close to our destination," Joy explained.

"Right." Seto nodded.

"I'll go first. Once I'm across, you join me, okay?" Joy volunteered. She made to move, but Seto stopped her.

"Are you sure it's safe?" he asked. Joy rolled her eyes a bit.

"Relax, Kaiba. Stop being such a worried wart." With that, she stepped into the water and began to cross the river. The water itself was completely clear, so clear that if she wanted to, Joy could easily have taken a drink with no worries.

Meanwhile, Akujin finished his journey through the Path of Light. The second he came through and hit the ground, the sky, which had been perfectly clear, darkened and storm clouds appeared overhead.

Joy was about halfway through the river when the sky suddenly grew dark. She stopped and both she and Kaiba looked up. Joy did not like the change in the air and something told her that Akujin had made it through the Path of Light and was probably on his way to catching up to them. While she and Seto were occupied with the change of weather, they did not notice that the river was changing, too. The once calm river suddenly produced a current, and it was a powerful one. Joy was caught completely by surprise and found herself swept off her feet into the strong current. She let out a scream.

"Joy!" Seto cried out in alarm. He wanted to immediately jump in to try and save her, but stopped himself from doing so, because he knew that if he did, both of them could be swept away by the current. I have to save her…but how?

* * *

Joy: I know this is a short chapter, but I will update really soon…I hope. :o) Four more chapters till the end! Who thinks I can finish this on Christmas?

The next chapter will be called: 'Race to the Finish'.


	22. Race to the Finish

Joy: Seeing as how my day was hectic, I wasn't able to update as planned yesterday, so I want to put two chapters up today. I know some people might not be thrilled with the idea, but I have to do it just this once. Especially since everyone, including myself, wants this all completed by Christmas. Anyway, here comes chapter 22!

* * *

**Race to the Finish**

Joy struggled against the strong current of the river, being completely separated from Seto as well as being unable to gain control of where the river took her. She found herself getting a bit scared and it was getting harder and harder to stay above water. _What am I going to do?_ she asked herself desperately.

Seto meanwhile had taken to running downstream, trying to keep sight of the teenage girl. The current was strong, and kept dragging the helpless girl under the water. _What am I going to do? _he asked himself desperately.

Joy gasped for air as she came up again. She managed to spot Seto running after her along the bank of the river. _If only there was some way for him to reach me._ She vaguely recalled watching a movie where someone was rescued from a river's current when a savior climbed a large tree trunk and pulled them onto it and out of the water.

Seto kept running, hoping to think of some way to save Joy when he spotted it – a large tree trunk lying across the river just up ahead. He ran faster, managing to get there before the girl. He quickly climbed up onto the overturned trunk and lay flat on his belly. He reached out his hands just as Joy came up to the tree and grabbed her by the hands, pulling her up and out of danger before she could get under the trunk of the tree.

The girl was very pale. The water had apparently turned quite cold, and the prolonged time spent trapped in the current at that temperature had caused Joy's lips to start to turn blue. Her breathing came out in gasps and she was clinging to consciousness. Seto immediately got her on the other side of the river and away from the raging water. He held her in a sitting position and took off his trench coat, putting it on her so as to try to warm her up. He put her face to his chest to warm her cheeks. They stayed like that for quite a bit; almost ten minutes before Joy finally responded, moving away from Seto slightly.

"Are you okay?" Seto asked.

"I think so. I feel warmer now, thanks to you. And are you okay?" Joy asked, looking Seto over briefly.

"I'm fine. Can you stand? We have to get moving. I can carry you if you can't walk."

"I'm quite all right enough to walk, but thanks for the offer. Just help me up, okay?" Seto nodded and helped Joy to her feet. She tried to return his coat, but Seto refused.

"You keep it on for a while," he insisted. Joy finally agreed and the two continued on their journey. They had not gone very far before Joy stopped in her tracks. "What is it?" Seto asked.

"Kaolin…he is already across the river. He's close, Kaiba."

"Looks like we are gonna half to make a run for it. How much farther is it to our destination?" Seto asked.

Joy pointed ahead. "It's a small house. It is about ten minutes walking, less if we run."

"Okay, you up for a good run, Houyoku?" Joy nodded determinedly. "Good. Ready…go!" They took off like rockets, running as fast as they could toward the house. Once they cleared the woods, they saw it quite clearly right on the other side of the clearing.

Joy took a glance behind them and gasped. "Akujin is running after us, Kaiba!"

"Stop him! We have to make it to the house before him!" Joy stopped running and turned to face the following Akujin. She lifted her hand, creating her ball of energy quite easily. She silently thanked Katilli for teaching her this maneuver and she put herself into a quick stance and fired. The energy blast didn't hit Akujin dead on, it only grazed his leg, but it did cause him to stop and fall to the ground.

Joy smirked and then ran after Seto, who was nearing the house. "Come on, Houyoku. Speed up!"

Joy was just nearing Seto's position by the door when Akujin suddenly stood up and fired a blast of his own. Seto cried out a warning to Joy, who turned in time to see the blast. But Seto didn't need to worry, because Joy had the Shield of Chii with her, and it was more than enough defense against such an attack. The attack, like Slifer's, was not only repelled, but reflected right back at Akujin, who screamed out in pain as the blast hit him full on.

That taken care of, Joy joined Seto in front of the door. The two were about to open it and enter the house when a voice rang in their minds.

"Who dares to enter my lair?!" The voice sounded female,with acommanding and superior tone.

"Um…it is I…Joy Houyoku. A keeper of light."

"A keeper of light, you say? Well I will be the one to judge your worthiness. Only the true keepers of light may enter this place. What is your Item of Legend?"

"The Shield of Chii." Joy held it up and it glowed dimly, almost as if it was confirming the ownership.

"Hmm…I see. Who is your companion?"

"Seto Kaiba. He is my trusted companion."

"Ah…such favoritism. Do you not trust your other friends?"

"Of course. I chose him because he is closer to me than just a friend."

"I see. And do you trust him to live?"

"What do you mean?" Joy asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Only keepers of light may enter past the door. You must leave your companion behind. Will you do that, even with your hated enemy only yards away?"

Joy looked over at Seto. She knew he couldn't summon any magic to defend himself against any attacks should Akujin awaken enough to come at him. A wish is certainly not worth the risk that something terrible might happen in her absence. She took a sharp intake of air, looking firm at the door in front of her.

"I will not leave him behind. He is more important to me than a wish."

There was a pause that seemed to stretch on for eternity, but it was only a moment. Then the door swung open. "Come in, keeper of light and her trusted companion, and make your wish."

Seto and Joy blinked, looked at each other for a brief second, and then entered the house.

* * *

Joy: I know it is short, but I got another one coming, so…yeah. Okay, I got an announcement before you go on to the next chapter.

This story is going to be 25 chapters as I have said, but the last one is gonna be ultra short because I want to give you guys a really good sneak peak at the story ideas I have for the next story. So three more chapters, and on the last one you get a glimpse into my head to see what possibilities are stirring for the next story. Everyone seems to want the series to continue, so I am planning it.

So, review!


	23. The Wish

Joy: Okay, people, as promised, her comes chapter 23. Two more chapters to go after this one! Thanks to those that reviewed the last chapter and hope you like this one. I got stuck on it a few times.

* * *

**The Wish**

The house was quite plain seeming on the inside, with a single silver throne against the back wall as the only piece of furniture in the room. Joy stepped forward, Seto right behind her. She looked around the room. There were white drapes hanging from the ceiling and a red carpet leading up to the throne.

A few steps into the house and the two stopped. The throne glowed brilliantly for a moment, and when the group looked up, they saw a woman sitting upon the silver chair.

She had golden hair and pale green eyes. She wore simple white robes and held a golden scepter in her right hand. Upon her head was a small tiara, also made of gold, and she wore a necklace with a diamond on it as big as a strawberry. (AN: I love strawberries, so I had to use that fruit! Ahem…sorry. On with the story)

"Hello, Joy Houyoku. Welcome to the Shrine of Kokoro. My name is Odessa."

"Odessa…how did you know my name?"

"I have known you from birth. As I have known Yugi and Ryou, as you three are the keepers of light. It is my duty to grant the inner most desire in your heart. Now, you have a wish, but before you make it, I must tell you something."

"All right." Joy prompted her to continue with a nod.

"You hold in your hand a very powerful item. As Yugi and Ryou also have powerful items of their own. Right now they are using those items to protect the gateway between our worlds. However, you three cannot keep the items after you make your wish. They are far too powerful and there will be many after such powerful. Absolute power corrupts absolutely and you have seen for yourself the extent of such corruption. I cannot allow the items to fall into the hands of those unworthy of using them."

"Like Akujin," Joy added. Odessa nodded.

"Indeed. You saw the greed in his eyes. He was willing to take human lives for his own ambitions, and that cannot be allowed. Thus when this is done, I will take the items back. It is for the best, I am sure you understand that." Joy nodded. "Now, I can tell that there are many questions hovering over your mouth, and I am eager to answer them and to grant the wish you wish to request."

"With the items gone, the Path of Light can never be opened, is that right?"

"Ah, you have been paying attention to many voices, young lady. It is true that to get from your world to mine you need the three items of legend, but that is because of the distance between us. There are many realms, and some are closer to this one and do not require any special method of entry. Though I doubt you can reach such places on your own. Do you understand?"

"Yes…what about Yugi and the others? If you take their items, won't there be a risk of them getting hurt in the fight?"

"No need to worry, child. I will ensure your safety with my magic. You will not even have to travel the Path of Light back to your realm."

"I see. Well…then I guess the only thing to do is make my wish. But in truth, the wish is not mine alone. A dear friend asked me to make a wish for her, since she could not come."

"Just as I suspected, always caring for others more than yourself," Odessa said with a slight smile. "Very well. What is her wish?"

"Well…you see…she has a mother who has taken very ill. Her mother is the only thing she has left and there is nothing the doctors can do to for her. She was hoping that her mother's illness would disappear. She is a very timid person and at first did not want to ask for help because she thought it would seem like she was greedy or selfish, but she is such a sweet girl and one of my dear friends. Is there anyway that my wish could be that her mother be able to overcome her illness and live a long and healthy life so that my friend will not be without her family?"

"That is your wish? You want nothing for yourself? And the other keepers do not mind?"

"I talked to them already and they believe this is the best wish. I have everything I could wish for already."

Odessa smiled warmly at the girl. "Joy, that is the most selfless wish I have ever been asked to grant, and so I gladly accept the honor of making it come true. Your friend's mother will be just fine."

Joy bowed respectfully. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Odessa. That makes me so happy."

"Good. Then I am happy as well. And now I take you back to your home and get rid of those horrid men for good."

"Will I ever see you or this place again?" Joy asked.

"If destiny calls for it, then it shall be so. I cannot tell the future, dear child. Only time will be the judge."

She raised her hands high into the air and muttered a small chant under her breath. A white light encircled both Seto and Joy and they felt themselves being pulled from their present location much like teleporting, a sort of tug at their bodies and then it was gone.

When they opened their eyes, they were lying in the middle of Joy's living room. "Well, that was definitely interesting," Seto said, his eyebrow rose slightly. Joy smiled, then frowned a bit.

"Where are the others?" she asked.

"Right here!" Seto and Joy looked up to see the rest of the group entering the room. Yugi smiled. "Did everything go all right?" he asked. Joy nodded. "Good. We were worried for a moment there."

"We're glad you two are all right," Ryou added.

"How did it go?" Katilli asked. "I assume you made your wish, but what happened to the items?"

"What a story we have for you guys," Joy said, then proceeded to relay to her dark and her friends what had befallen them inside a totally different realm.

* * *

Joy: Okay, everyone, there you have it. Two chapters in one setting. Hope they weren't too odd or rushed sounding. The next on is gonna be called – 'Happiness At Last'. Till then, review and see ya later!


	24. Happiness At Last

Joy: Merry Christmas, everyone! Sorry if this is so damned delayed. I couldn't get to a computer yesterday…damn it. Mom rarely lets me get on hers and Dad puts a password on his so no one can get on it… (sigh) Anyway, here comes chapter 24.

* * *

Happiness At Last

After things had settled down a bit, Kira spoke up. "I…I just wanted to thank you all for everything. For being there…being my friends…and helping me. And most of all making my wish for me. That was so great that…that…" At this point Kira had to turn away so as to hide the tears that threatened to fall. Yugi came up and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Kira, we helped you because that's what friends do. They help each other. Besides, you helped us tons of times. The least we could do was help you."

"Well…thank you very much." Kira gave her friends a small smile. "Now not only do I have my family, but great new friends, too!" Yugi grinned, and then nodded in agreement.

"That's right!"

…Later…

Yugi, Ryou, and all the darks (in bodies of course) gathered at the Domino Train Station. Kira wanted to stay longer, but now that her mother was going to get better, she wanted to be by her side. "I want to be there when she gets out of the hospital," she had explained. Joy and Seto had to say their goodbyes earlier because they had to rush off to work. Joy had promised to meet her father at the office and of course Seto had to get back to Kaiba Corp. But Katilli and Sorcerer wanted to send the duo off.

"You tell that priestess to stay out of trouble," Sorcerer said.

Kira smiled. "I'll try."

"Keep in touch, Kira. I know everything will be all right," Katilli said. Kira nodded.

"That was some adventure," Yugi said. Ryou agreed.

"But what about Akujin? Is he still alive and if so, will he strike again?" Ryou asked.

"Only Ra knows," Yami responded. "But the important thing is that he did not succeed in his goal. The Path of Light will remain closed now."

"Damn the luck," Bakura said. "I had the best wish."

Katilli looked over at him. "I can only guess, anata."

"Probably to possess the Millennium Puzzle," Yami muttered, annoyed. Bakura glared at him.

"Actually, I would have wished to possess all the Items, not just the Puzzle. I mean, come on, Pharaoh, your Item isn't the only one. How arrogant can you be?" Now it was Yami's turn to glare.

"Okay, you two. Stop bickering. We do not wish to send Kira off like this, now do we?" Katilli asked, making sure to step in between the arguing spirits.

Yugi and Ryou sighed. Yugi leaned close to Ryou's ear. "Looks like we're going to have to work harder to get those two to stop fighting all the time," he whispered.

"Indeed," Ryou whispered back. "At any rate," he said a bit louder, "we do hope that we meet up again real soon. Next time though, if you have a problem, please tell us all the details. Don't hide something that is important. We want to help."

"I promise, and I am very sorry for not telling you everything." Kira suddenly found the floor interesting. "I was worried that you would think of me as being selfish for wanting such a wish. That I was only thinking of myself."

"Quite the contrary, actually," Ryou pointed out. "I think that wanting one's mother to be well is not selfish at all."

Suddenly the call came for Kira's train to board. "I guess I need to go now. Don't worry, though…I'll keep in touch and everything. I promise."

Her friends smiled and nodded. "As will we," Katilli said.

Kira went around and gave her friends a hug and then turned to leave, waving to them as she did. "Till next time we meet, goodbye, everyone!" The group watched until she had boarded the train and it was around the corner and out of sight.

"Come on, everyone, we best be going home ourselves," Katilli suggested.

…Later…

"Did you see Kira and Reila off?" Joy asked as she prepared for bed that night.

"Yes. Then Bakura and I had a bit of a romantic evening. How was work? I do hope you were not too bored without me. I was thinking to give you a bit of time to adjust on your own."

"Katilli, everything went very well. We already have the place staffed halfway. Just a bit longer and we will be fully operational. And you don't have to worry about a thing. I actually want you to feel comfortable going out on your own and having fun once in a while. Don't think you have to be in your soul room all the time. If I need you, I know how to get a hold of you."

"All right…if you say so. Maybe I did have a lot of fun today. I would not mind in the least if I was able to do it again. Still, it is my duty and my will to look out for your safety, Joy, and I do intend to do so."

"Oh, stop…its just work."

"Joy, Akujin may still be out there. It is possible he got away from that other dimension and made it back here on the mortal realm. We must be careful. The other darks think so as well."

"Yes, yes…I know. But for now, just relax."

"So," Katilli said, suddenly changing subjects, "when does your father go back to Montana?"

"His plane leaves on Monday. He said that things should be ready here by then."

Katilli gazed at her for a moment. "You will miss him, I presume."

Joy blinked. "Well, of course! But he is just a phone call or plane ride away if I want to hear or see him. But I will miss him. He is the only family I have, you know."

"I do, it is just that Japan and America are so far apart and it will be difficult to just drop everything and go there."

Joy thought for a moment, and then gave Katilli a look. "Don't you hate being right all the time?"

Katilli smiled brightly. "Not really, but it does get predictable from time to time."

* * *

Joy: Okay, next chapter coming up! And it is the last one. The chapter is called – Just the Beginning. Stay tuned, folks! 


	25. Just the Beginning

Joy: As promised, here comes the final chapter of Path of Light. I hope you enjoy this ending, even though it is so short. I have a bit of a vote at the end for the next story.

* * *

Just the Beginning

Joy's father was packed and ready by Monday, just as planned. Joy went to see him off at the airport. Remembering that they may not be able to see each other as often as they normally would, Joy found herself sad to see him leave.

Katilli had tried to reassure her light, being able to sense Joy's disturbance. _Please be assured, Joy, that this is not the last time you will meet. Remember what you said? You can contact your father any time you need to. He is always by your side, as am I and your friends…and Kaiba._

_Yes…but…he is my father. Friends are important, but not the same as family, Katilli. Even Kaiba has Mokuba living with him. I won't be able to see my father for maybe a good deal of time from now. I am already missing him._

_You two were separated during the summer, were you not?_

_Well…yes, but that was different. I have the branch to run now…I can't just hop on a plane and go back to __Montana__, Katilli, as you yourself said several days ago._

"All right, princess. My flight was just called. I don't want to miss it." Joy bit her bottom lip, giving her father a sad look. "What's this? Why the sad look, my dear?"

"It's just that…I don't know when we will be able to see each other…and…oh, I'm gonna miss you, daddy!" Joy jumped forward into her father's arms, nearly knocking him over in the process.

"I will miss you, too, honey. But it is not like this is forever, Joy. We will still see each other, just not everyday. It'll be like a long business trip not unlike those I always go on. Now am I right?"

"I suppose…"

"There now…try to be happy, Joy. That is what I really want, you know. Your happiness. Now you have plenty to keep you busy and happy, and we can call each other everyday, if you like. How does that sound to you?"

Joy managed to smile a bit. "That sounds okay, I guess." The announcer called Steven's flight again. "Oh! You don't want to be late for your flight, dad. And remember to call me when you get to the estate, okay?"

"It's a deal." Steven gave his daughter another hug and a kiss on the forehead, then turned and walked through the gate to the awaiting plane.

Well, now. This is a terrific ending to a great adventure, is it not, hikari?

Actually, Katilli…with Akujin's whereabouts still a mystery, this may be just the beginning of our adventure.

* * *

Joy: There is was! The SUPER SHORT ending to Path of Light! Now…you may be anticipating a grand little skit about the next story, right? Well, if you recall, I said I had several possibilities for the next story, but I have having a dilemma deciding which one to do. All the stories are a possibility and I may do them all, but I need to know which one you all want first. Here are the three choices…no real titles yet, sorry.

1.) Joy looses her memory after hitting her head and the gang has to find a way to rebuild her memory will Katilli takes a turn at being a businesswoman in Joy's absence.

2.) Marik has done nothing but think of Joy since the events of Total Eclipse. He finds that he has fallen in love with her. But he knows she is with Seto, but he is determined to win Joy's heart. It is this notion that spirals Kaiba and Marik into a bit of a contest for Joy's love!

3.) A look into the pasts of the dark sides. A deeper kind of angsty background story about Katilli, Yami, Sorcerer, and Bakura.

Well, you all can vote on what you want to see. If you can't decide, just remember I can do them all, I just want to know which to do first. I might have to use some sort of scientific method if no one votes.

Now, I would like to thank each and every single person who reviewed or ever will review to this story. It has been truly a joy (no pun intended, lol) to write and I am glad that everyone enjoyed it. This one stands at over one hundred and fifteen reviews so far! I am so happy! Yeah! The next one will come as soon as I can get it up, so until then, be happy and prosperous, everyone! And Happy New Year to all!


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